You Are My Slave
by CherrieBlossom73
Summary: When Itachi Uchiha is tired of his usual slave routine, he sends his men out to get a certain pink haired kunoichi to make her his. What happens to Sakura and will Sasuke save her from her seemingly doomless fate?
1. Chapter 1

The room was pitch black except for a sliver of light that shone through the barely opened door. Two glowing red eyes peered through the darkness, looking at something that could not be seen. Hands seemed to be on the man in various places, touching him, pleasing him. He acted as if they were not there at all, just focused on the situation before him.

"She is to be captured and brought back to me. Alive. I don't care what you do, just get her and bring her here. Make sure nobody see's you. It is very important that you pay attention to your surroundings. Do I make myself clear?" A low, threatening voice rang throughout the room. Four figures stood at attention before him, attentive.

"Yes, sir." They replied in unison.

"Now go. Don't keep me waiting."

The men bowed respectfully and scurried out of the room. Their feet rang across the marble floor and a soft click was heard. The door shut away the last of the light and the man in the chair was fully engulfed in darkness. His eye's seemed to spin as he stared ahead. He could not wait for the girl to get here. She would be his and oh, how much fun they would have together. She would have fun.

He'd make sure of that.

**Part Two**

The sun was hot on her neck as she walked down the dirty trail of the forest. Her eyes scanned the different types of plants that lay along the side of the road. There was a certain bush, a certain type of leaf, that her eyes searched for. It was a special herb, one that was practically going extinct. Which is why she needed to find it; she needed to get it before the plant disappeared.

It had only been a few hours that she was out there, alone. Her medical team insisted they come with so she sent them in various directions, away from her. She knew which area it would be in, and she had to find it. You had to treat the plant in a specific manner because it was very fragile. If anyone was going to pick it, it had to be her. At least she would know what she did wrong if anything happened while picking it.

She stopped dead in her tracks. There it was, just ten feet away. Hesitantly and silently, as if it might scurry away, she walked towards her target. She stood before it and leaned down to get a better look. It was a pale red color, with long spiky leaves. Everything she knew about the little red plant streamed through her mind like a river in a valley. She knew what she had to do, how to pick it, how to handle it. Yet she hesitated.

The girl wasn't worried about killing it, no, that wasn't it. There was something behind her, more like someone. She sensed someone's chakra not too far behind her, watching her closely. The medical ninja pretended to be focusing on the herb, pretended to inspect it at different angles but really paid attention to the man behind her. She sensed three more men spread out around her, watching her, waiting.

She cursed herself for sending away her team, then scolded herself for doubting her skills. Her team was made up of medical ninjas, not fighters. If they were here they'd most likely die, she couldn't have that. The female medical ninja closed her eyes and took a deep breath, channeling her chakra into her gloved fists.

Two men were on opposite sides of her about ten feet in front of her, while two were about the same distance behind her. If she was lucky, the punch would hit the two in front of her, taking out two of her enemies. She looked at the plant, debating whether to lose it or not.

_Your life or the plants life._

Taking a few steps forward, she raised her fist and brought it down hard, landing a shattering blow to the earth. A fissure erupted and the ground sped forward towards her intended target. Caught off guard, she heard two grunts as the earthquake hit the men. Immediately she turned around, trying to sense the chakra of the other two.

Her eyes scanned the trees, above and below. Nothing. She couldn't sense them, they were masking their chakra. She debated what to do next. She could make a run for it, but that would get her nowhere. Again, she cursed herself for going alone. This would be so much easier with another person.

The pink haired kunoichi realized that she was an easy target, standing in one spot. In an instant, the girl sprang forward into the trees. Hopping from one branch to another, the emerald orbs scanned the area for any signs of the men. If they were there, they were obscuring themselves good.

Panic started growing in her heart and the girl started to sweat. She had no idea who these men were nor what they wanted with her. All she knew was that they had been watching her, God knows for how long. About a good hundred feet away from her original spot, she stopped and caught her breath. She sensed a faint chakra near her but she couldn't mark the exact spot. She clenched her fist and prepared herself.

"Hello, Sakura.." A voice said coming from behind her. She gasped and spun around, meeting two blue eyes.

"Deidara." She hissed, glaring at the Akatsuki member. A sadistic smile spread across his face as he took in her form. The S-class criminal licked his lips as he examined her body with his eyes.

"You look...ravishing."

"What do you want!" Sakura spat out, sweat trickling down her back. To be caught by an Akatsuki member alone in the woods could only forebode the worst.

Deidara raised his hand and Sakura jerked back, but he wasn't aiming an attack. He was waving to someone in the distance, signaling them to come. In seconds another figure in a red clouded cloak appeared next to Deidara. This one had pure white eyes and blue, scaly skin, a large sword lay in his right hand.

Sakura inwardly cursed, knowing she didn't stand a chance between these two. She stood her ground, however, and tensed. The blue guy, known as Kisame Hoshigaki, extended his right arm, threatening the kunoichi with his sword. Sakura gulped; that sword would drain her chakra. The kunoichi felt herself at a dead end, but she knew better than to give up.

"What do you want?" She repeated calmly. The two criminals grinned in an evil manner, taking their time.

"My my, aren't we a little persistent?" Kisama asked, moving his arm slightly to the right at Sakura's shoulder. She kept her eyes level with his as he just barely grazed her shoulder with his sword. He smirked at her strength, she wouldn't last long, though.

Sakura clenched her fists and was ready to throw a punch at the fish but he shook his head. "Uh uh, I wouldn't do that. My sword will drain you in seconds before you even touch me."

"Tch.." Sakura ground her teeth together and thought drastically. _What the hell am I going to do?_

"Get away from her!" A voice screamed, coming up behind the Akatsuki members. They turned their heads and saw a boy with dark, spiky hair and a glare that was set to kill.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted, relief flooding through her voice. She wouldn't have to fight them alone, Sasuke was here and now it was even.

"I said, get away from her." Sasuke snarled, his eyes shot daggers at the cloaked figures, fury burning hot in his tone.

"And what are you going to do, Uchiha?" Kisame asked.

While the guys were focused on Sasuke, Sakura brought her arm back and landed a shattering blow on Deidara's head, making him spin forward and land into a tree with a harsh thud. Sasuke kept his eye's trained on the fish, and his sword. It was still pointed at Sakura but not anywhere close enough to touch her.

Kisama hopped back onto a tree, away from the Kunoichi. He knew who the girl trained with and what she was capable of, he didn't want to be anywhere near her as long as she had her chakra. He'd have to change that.

Sasuke jumped over to where Sakura was, facing the criminal and keeping a close eye on him. "Are you alright? Did they do anything to you?"

Sakura looked at the fish, who was standing there holding his sword. She looked down at the blond who was just recovering from the impact. "I'm fine. Glad you're here, though."

"Sakura, I want you to run back to the village and find Naruto and Kakashi."

Sakura rolled her eyes and clenched her fists again,"No, Sasuke. I'm not leaving you here with two S-class criminals."

"Sakura, these guys are dangerous-"

"Yeah, that's why I'm not leaving you! Stop being overprotective-watch out!" Sakura shouted, pushing Sasuke out of the way to dodge a clay bomb made by Deidara. It hit Sakura in the arm and she fell off the branch, barely catching herself before hitting the ground. Sasuke charged at the blond, throwing punches and kicks anywhere there was an opening.

Sakura looked up towards Kisame, who was staring at her, smirking. That smirk pissed her off and anger boiled inside her. She sprang forward and up at Kisame, throwing a punch. Her fist collided with nothing but air as he jumped back. Expecting this, the pink haired kunoichi stepped forward and tried again, this time her fist collided with his face and he sprawled backwards. Recovering quickly, he sprang forward and swung his sword at the girl, slicing her upper arm and draining some of her chakra.

The kunoichi rested a hand on the wound, signaling chakra into her hand to seal the cut. Her eyes stayed on the sword user, contemplating her next attack. He raised the sword up and rested it on his shoulder, his teeth jutting out as he smiled.

"You're not going to win, kunoichi. If you just give in now I won't have to cut your limbs off."

Sakura snorted,"What do you want with me anyway? You never did tell me."

Kisame abruptly shot forward and slashed at the girl with his sword, but she dodged it just in time. Bringing her leg up, Sakura swung around and went to kick her enemy in the head, but he ducked and tripped her, making her fall off the tree. Sakura landed on her hands and did a back flip, immediately throwing a punch at the ground. The earth shook and another fissure erupted, slicing forward and knocking over the tree.

Kisame appeared behind the girl and slashed at her back, causing her to cry out in agony. She spun her arm around and landed an elbow in his face, a gurgling sound escaping his lips. She brought her left hand up, clenched it tightly and swung. The force of the hit sent the man flying backwards until he crashed into a tree. Out of breath and half way out of chakra, Sakura ran forward a couple steps and slammed her fist into the ground.

The ground split and reached her intended target, hitting him and sending him into the earth. Sakura looked over to where her boyfriend was, trying to breathe oxygen into her lungs. He looked tried already, he was using his sharingan which was obviously giving him an advantage. Deidara looked agitated, evidently not expecting a fight.

Sakura was about to rush over and help her boyfriend, when she heard a rustle behind her and then nothing. Her vision faded into black and the last thing she saw was a huge, seemingly silent, explosion that hit Sasuke directly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Sakura opened her eyes slowly, everything was blurry. Blinking a few times to regain her eyesight, Sakura looked around half dazed and out of it. Her back hurt and her arms were asleep and tingly, she tried to move but failed in the process. Sakura looked upwards and saw her wrists being held hostage by chains on the wall. The girl tried to muster up some chakra into her arms, thinking how foolish they were for putting someone like her in chains, but found her chakra was purely drained.

Looking around, she saw that she was in a basement of some sort. It wasn't dusty and filled with useless objects, no, it was like a bedroom. There were couches by the corners, a nice rug, a table, and a huge bed in the corner to her right. Her mind felt foggy, like she couldn't think completely, something was missing. Sakura sighed in frustration and tried, once again, to channel chakra into her hands. No luck. She'd give it a little more time until she tried again, she decided.

Sakura hung her head in sorrow and scolded herself. She was smarter than this, she shouldn't be chained to a basement wall. How could she be so blind? Why did she leave herself open like that?

Her mind flipped to Sasuke and instant worry seeped into her system. Fear for his life and for her own showed in her eyes, she began to weep gentle, quiet sobs. She sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that her boyfriend was alright. A low thud and a click made Sakura look up from her prayer. A tall figure walked over to Sakura, she assumed it was a woman from her gait and her pretty blue hair that was pinned up neatly. Anger and the need for justice ached to fly off Sakura's clenched fists, but she kept her mouth shut and eye'd the woman carefully.

Sakura watched her enemy closely, looking for any sudden movements. Not that she could dodge them of course, but at least she'd be ready for it. The woman stopped and stood before the chained girl, staring down at her, face blank. Sakura stared back, waiting patiently. The silence between the women seemed to last for what seemed like hours. The pink-haired kunoichi's gaze never faltered, the woman wasn't as intimidating as she thought she was. Aggravated by the constant silence, Sakura, teeth ground together fiercely, questioned her captor.

"What the hell do you want with me!"

The woman didn't flinch at Sakura's sudden outburst, her eye's remained locked on the chained girl, dead and icy. Abruptly, the woman brought her right knee up and hit Sakura in the face. Her head swung to the left and Sakura caught her breath, she tasted a dark, thick liquid and knew it was blood.

The blue haired woman spoke, her voice was low, and soft but nonetheless threatening,"You will not speak to me like that, do you understand? When you speak to me you will use the term "Ma'am," and you will not look me in the eye, that's disrespectful."

What the hell was this? Now she was being told how to talk to someone? Someone who captured her and chained her in a basement? Sakura's blood boiled in extreme rage and she glared at the Akatsuki member.

"Let me go you piece of-" Another kick to the face sent Sakura's last words out a in a muffled oomph. Her cheek would surely gain a bruise now. Sakura spat out blood on the beige carpet, leaving a dark, dirty stain.

"Don't talk to me like that. You are a slave now, you have no right to talk to your higher ups like that. You will talk only when you're spoken to, unless you're told other wise..." The woman carried on her list of obscene rules, but Sakura was in too much shock to hear what she was saying.

Sakura's mind jerked and halted, everything slowed down. Slave? She was a slave? No, this couldn't be. The Akatsuki were the famous clan that kidnapped people? Made them slaves? No...They couldn't be. Nobody ever told her it was _them, _why didn't anyone tell her? She couldn't be a slave, there was absolutely no way. Sakura's eye's filled and overflowed with tears. She had everything going for her; she had a boyfriend she loved deeply, friends surrounding her, a good job as a medic...How could this happen? And to her?

"Are you listening?" The blue haired member questioned, noticing Sakura's blank stare at the wall. The kunoichi stared straight ahead, not listening. The woman leaned down, annoyed that she had to go this far with a slave, she never had this problem before. She'd have to talk to her teammates and scold them for not finishing their job.

The woman grabbed Sakura's face and turned the girl to face her. Her cheeks were wet from the tears of desperation, the emerald orbs that were filled with such anger and ferocity just moments ago were now blank, desolate. "Looks like you'll be a tough one to crack." The woman whispered, obviously not worried about the pink-haired kunoichi. She licked Sakura's cheek, tasting the tears of sorrow that slipped from her eyes. She'd break soon enough; it would just take a little training.

The woman stood up, dropping Sakura's pale face, and walked over to the door. Opening the door, she walked out swiftly, closing it behind her with a soft click. Everything was silent, there was no other sound except for the slow breaths and soft sniffs coming from the pink haired woman chained to the wall. Sakura saw her life fading before her eyes. Everything she ever worked for, everything she ever loved, would be gone now. There was no escape from these people, Sakura knew that. To escape from a place like this, heavily guarded and as huge as a maze, you'd have to be telepathic and indestructible. Unfortunately for Sakura, she was neither.

The more the girl thought, the more the tears poured out. She wished Sasuke was here to protect her from her horrible fate, to wrap his strong arms around her thin form and hug her closely. Sakura desperately wished she could look into those onyx eyes of his and see that everything would be alright, that he'd protect her.

No. That wasn't who Sakura was, she wasn't a burden anymore. She just wanted Sasuke to be here with her so she wouldn't have to go through all this alone.

_Sasuke..._

An urge to see her beloved boyfriend again coursed through Sakura and she shook her head. She tried to feel her chakra and found there was a small sample there, waiting to be used. She wasn't sure if it'd be enough, but she had to try. Channeling it to her fists, she held onto the chain and tried to yank it off.

A loud, horrible scream rang throughout the tiny room. Sakura had been shocked, the chain didn't even budge. Sakura's whole body was burning like it was on fire, her eye's stung and tears streamed down her face. The pain was too much, and she felt a headache form. Her vision blurred and twitched before it faded to black.

**Part Two**

A soft knock echoed throughout the spacious room before it slid open, letting in light from the outside. It closed swiftly and silently after two men walked in. They walked towards the man sitting in the chair, bodies straight and rigid. Two peering eyes shown through the deep darkness, attentive on the men that just walked in.

"Did you bring her?" The man asked, voice low.

"Yes, sir. She's in the basement like you wanted." One of the men said.

"Good. Did you make sure everything went smoothly?"

They hesitated,"Well, we had a bit of an encounter while trying to retrieve the girl."

"Did you fix it?" The man asked, eye's threatening the men to say otherwise.

"Yes, we took care of it. Knocked him out and made sure he forgot the entire situation."

"Very good. Very good indeed."

"Uhm, Sir?" Said the other man.

"What?"

"The guy we took care of was your younger brother, Sasuke Uchiha, Sir."

The man with the red eyes took this information in and seemed to analyze it closely,"This might indeed cause problems for us. He'll be looking for the girl, along with the blond," The man sighed, thinking,"Search around and make sure no one followed. Place guards around the mansion, I don't want anyone getting in. Or out."

"Yes, sir!" The men bowed deeply and retreated out the door. The man brought his glass to his lips and sipped his wine in thought.

"So the famous kunoichi is in my possession, eh? Haha, how amusing." He raised his arm and snapped his fingers, immediately two servants fell to their knees before him, ready to do his bidding. "Make sure Sakura is comfortable, I don't want my little cherry to be distressed."

"Yes, Sir."

"Right away, Sir." The servants scurried off to tend to the girl, he watched them go before taking another sip of his drink.

"I cannot wait to play with you, my little cherry. In time, we will play." The man said to himself, smirking in the darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Opening her eyes slowly, Sakura awoke from her very unpleasant nap. She groaned as she lifted her head up, wincing from the terrible strain her position gave her neck. Instinctively, her hand wanted to rub the back of her neck, lessen the pain; but the chains kept her arms from moving. Sakura's legs hurt from sitting on them for too long, she tried to get up but once again, the chains held her down. She bit her lip, she would not cry. She could do this, she would get through this.

The pain in her legs and practically her entire body produced a bubble of doubt, however. Eye's stinging and burning with tears, she clenched her fists and bit her lip aggressively. She could do this, it was just a little pain, not that bad. Sakura, slowly but carefully, sat up and positioned herself so she was sitting on the floor instead of on her legs. The feeling of stretching her legs out was so much better than being cramped up like before, she moaned thankfully.

The door opened and Sakura's eyes darted towards the figure coming in. A short, thin haired guy came in and started moving around the room quickly. Another guy came in, this one was taller and had a nervous twitch about him. The men were dressed in dirty, ragged clothes and looked to be too big for them.

_Servants_, Sakura decided.

"Hey! You!" Sakura shouted at the tall guy, who jumped back from her loud tone. He stared at her with wide eyes and remained still, shaking a little. "Unlock these chains and let me go!"

The guy shook his head,"No I cannot do that."

"Tch..Why not?"

The man seemed frightened out of his wits. He kept looking towards the door, expecting someone to walk in and scold him for not doing his job. The short guy was making sure everything was neat and tidy, ignoring the conversation between the two.

"I can't.." He backed away as if she were going to attack him. She would if she wasn't chained up to this damn wall!

"Who's genius idea was it to capture me and make me a slave? Why me?" Sakura asked. If they weren't going to let her go she might as well attack the servants for information.

"Lord Uchiha." The short guy said, staring at her with a blank expression. Sakura just stared at him, letting it register in her mind.

"...Sasuke Uchiha?" Sakura was overcome with a moment of dumbfoundedness, believe for a slight second that her boyfriend would go through all this trouble to have her as a slave. Why would he? She made sure he was happy, in and outside of the bedroom. Realization hit her as soon as the guy shook his head and said the name screaming in Sakura's head.

"No. Lord Uchiha Itachi." The man said his name with the utmost respect, as if he were a God. Sakura stared at the man, trying to figure out how he got here in the first place. Sakura didn't know, she felt bad for the guys but she couldn't do anything about it. What the pink haired kunoichi did know, however, was that she had to get out of here before she became brainwashed. Thinking about it sent chills down her spine.

"Why does he want me?" She asked, looking between the two scrawny servants for an answer.

They narrowed their eyes and continued going about their work silently. Grinding her teeth together, Sakura fought the urge to verbally kick these guys asses. Instead, she exhaled deeply and thought of a more rational way to go about this.

"Is there any way I can talk to him?" She asked, sweetly. The two guys exchanged looks and Sakura felt a moment of hope that they'd unchain her.

"No." They stated in unison, looking her directly in the eyes. Before Sakura knew it, her mouth was open and she was screaming at the two, frightful servants.

"Why the hell not? He took _me_! I should have a right to see this asshole! Fuck him and his stupid orders, unchain me and take me to him!" The tone in Sakura's voice rose as she continued to scream at the servants, her anger exploding like a grenade inside her. The two men looked petrified, Sakura would've laughed if she wasn't so angry.

"We..uh...we...ca-can't..miss.." The short guy hesitated, looking at her with his head down, afraid she might break free of those chains like a monster.

"It's Haruno. Sakura Haruno. And I demand you unchain me and let me see Itachi!" Sakura shouted, using the same spark of anger from her recent explosion. The servants, scared and wishing they could leave, looked at each other. They seemed to exchange words by just looking at each other, speaking with only their eyes.

A moment later, the tall guy walked over, hesitantly. Sakura watched him, as she did with anyone she didn't know. He stood a couple inches away from her, and pulled a key from his shirt pocket. Sakura was surprised, they actually had a key? Shrugging it off, Sakura started to form a plan in her mind. She knew exactly what she was going to do, she just needed to get rid of these chains...

Two clicks later, Sakura's wrists were released from their restraint and Sakura sighed happily. She rubbed her wrists with her hands, cradling them like new born babies. The servant backed away, not wanting to be anywhere near the now free girl. Shakily, she stood up. Her legs were a bit weak, having not used them for about a day. Shaking it off, Sakura smiled. She checked her chakra, half way restored. Better than nothing.

After stretching really quick, the kunoichi loosened up her joints, preparing herself for whatever was about to happen. A spark of hope ignited in her, and she held onto it fast. She'd make it out of here, go back to Sasuke, and never go out on her own again. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and sent a silent prayer up to the Gods. This was it. She was going to run for it.

Sakura sped off, moving slowly and awkwardly at first but then gaining her momentum as she rushed on. Oddly, the servants weren't running or screaming at her. She forgot about it as she rounded a corner. The bad thing about being captured is you don't know where they took you, especially if they knocked you out. Now Sakura was left searching blindly for a way out. Left and right she turned, becoming more and more confused every turn she took.

Realizing nobody was after her, she slowed down to a jog, conserving her energy. Wherever she was, it was a pretty huge place. Then again, you wouldn't expect anything less from a criminal organization like the Akatsuki. Pictures and paintings hung on the maroon colored walls, a homey touch.

Every turn the girl took made her feel like she was just going in circles. Everything looked the same, nothing changed. Doors were placed here and there, but she didn't want to open any. She just needed a certain, specific door. The door that would lead her to freedom. Taking a left this time, Sakura scanned the doors, her eyes stopped on the one she was looking for. Double doors with a bit of light shining through called out to Sakura. She smiled and walked towards it.

_Stupid assholes..._

Sakura turned the handle and what she saw was not what she expected to see. Standing in front of Sakura was a pair of deep red eyes, Sharingan eyes. Sakura knew those eyes, she had seen them plenty of times. For a moment, she thought Sasuke was here and her heart began to race. But then fear overcame her as she noticed it _wasn't_ Sasuke. It was Itachi.

Heart pounding and blood boiling, Sakura turned around and before she could run, a pair of hands grabbed her into the room. The door slammed and she was engulfed in total darkness. Itachi's strong hands held her arms firmly, making struggling quite harder then usual. He pushed her up against the wall and she tried to push back but he was too strong. Sakura thought about using her chakra but thought she might need it in a more dire situation than now.

She stared into those almost familiar eyes, thinking of Sasuke. She wished this man glaring at her was Sasuke, her boyfriend, her love. But this wasn't Sasuke, it was Itachi, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a bit scared. He was the famous Uchiha who killed everyone in his clan, and only left his little brother to live. Now he's a slave owner with no sense of compassion for anyone but himself.

_This bastard deserves to die with the rest of his clan..._

"Hahaha. Maybe I do, but I'm not going anywhere any time soon." Itachi laughed. Sakura clenched her fists and glared at the guy.

_Go ahead and read my thoughts, you son of a bitch. It's only a matter of time before Sasuke finds me and he kills you._

"Ah, you see, that's where you're wrong, my delicate cherry," He smiled at his nickname,"my brother won't be coming here."

"It's not healthy to drive yourself into denial, Uchiha."

Itachi just smirked at the girl in the darkness."Ah, sweet Cherry. You are a catch, I'm so glad I got you." He brushed his fingers delicately against her cheek and Sakura swatted it away.

"Don't fucking touch me you bastard! What the hell do you want with me?"

"Oh, Sakura, you must be more careful with your tongue. We wouldn't want to have to cut it off now would we?"

"What. The. Fuck. Do. You. Want. With. Me?" Sakura shouted, her patience reached its end. She'd beat the answer out of this man if she had to.

Itachi's suave attitude quickly died and his tone was now sober. Looking her in the eyes he said,"You are mine now, Haruno. You belong to me. There is no running away, no trying to escape. You won't succeed. I own you, you are mine and you will obey me." His tone grew soft as he said,"I wouldn't want to have this pretty face of yours damaged." He ran his fingers along her jawline and Sakura just stared at him, tears brewing in her eyes.

"Why me?" Sakura couldnt help but ask.

"Why not?"

"Asshole!" Sakura shouted, raising her fist. Before she could throw a blow to the man's head, Itachi spun her around and slammed her against the door before she knew it. Her cheek hit the hard wood and the unexpected force caused her to bite her tongue, she tasted blood.

Itachi grabbed Sakura by her hair and brought her head back, and he leaned in close to her ear. "Don't even try it, sweet cherry. You won't win." He licked her neck experimentally and Sakura shivered in disgust.

"Fuck off."

"Tsk tsk, feisty. It'll be fun to train you, I'm sure."

"Fuck off." She repeated, ignoring every urge to use all her strength to beat this man to a pulp.

"Hehe, very fun indeed." He snapped his fingers and she felt the weight of him lift off her. If it wasn't for two pairs of hands holding her arms down, she would've thrown a punch in his direction. "Take her to her room. You're training begins tomorrow, my cherry. Rest easy, it'll be a long day." Itachi called as the two pairs of hands led her back to her room.

_Yeah, a very long day indeed. _


	4. Chapter 4

** "Wake up!" A womanly voice shouted at the sleeping girl. Sakura sat awkwardly on the floor, chained to the wall with her head hanging low. She stirred a little but didn't wake up. Reaching out, Konan grabbed the girl by her long, matted hair and yanked her head back so hard Sakura's neck cracked. Said girl's eyes snapped open in fury and stared at the woman who held her hostage. Konan's gray eye's glared back ferociously. **

** "Let. Me. Go." Sakura said through clenched teeth. She wasn't too fond of rude awakenings, and this was no exception. Slave or not, Sakura didn't like people touching her, especially the bitch standing in front of her. **

** "What the fuck are you going to do if I don't." Konan said.**

** "Unchain me and you'll see what fucking happens." **

** Konan smirked and let out a heartless laugh, shaking Sakura by her hair. "You're as stupid as you look, brat. If you think you'll lay a finger on me, think again."**

** Sakura spat at the woman, leaving a big glop of saliva sliding down Konan's leg. Konan growled and tilted Sakura's head back roughly, leaning down to make direct eye contact with the girl.**

** "Listen to me, brat. The more smart ass remarks and actions you make are just going to make your training that much more unbearable. If you want to survive your training, then you'll keep that in mind and keep your pathetic comments to yourself." Konan watched the girl strain herself to hold in anything she was thinking of saying. She enjoyed watching her struggle, it was one of the many benefits of being a slave owner; you can make them do whatever you want just by threatening them. Then, of course, you have to have the right attitude and sense to accomplish it. Konan had it mastered to perfection.**

** Sakura said nothing and swallowed any sarcastic remark she had. She hated this woman holding her, she'd give anything to smash that pretty face of hers. When she broke out of this place, Sakura promised herself, she would keep that mental note to let Konan's face meet her fist before she left.**

** Konan released Sakura and started to undo the locks. The kunoichi watched the woman through fiery eyes, wishing she could fulfill that promise right now. From her coat, the woman brought out a pair of handcuffs, and Sakura instantly felt like she was a prisoner in jail. When she thought about it, she actually was a prisoner. Just in a different sort of jail. Sakura stared at the woman with a dumbfounded expression on her face. She made no move to let the woman lock her in handcuffs. She wasn't going willingly. **

** "You're going to make this hard aren't you?" Konan asked, agitated. **

** "Now who's the stupid one." Sakura smirked, clenching her fists. **

** "Don't even try it, bitch." Konan made a hand sign and disappeared in seconds. Slamming her elbow backwards, Sakura hit something solid and already knew it was Konan. There was an 'oomph' and a punch to the back of Sakura's head before Sakura somehow ended up in handcuffs. **

** A loud, aggravated scream shook the quiet room, coming from the pink-haired kunoichi. Konan just grabbed the girl by her hair and dragged her out of the room swiftly and silently. Mumbling incoherent words from the unexpected aggravation, Konan dragged Sakura down the hall and around the corner.**

** Kicking open the door, she threw Sakura in there and shut the door, mumbling something about slaves not behaving right. **

** Sakura found herself on a cold, hard floor in a darkened room. The room was completely dark except for the light coming in through the ceiling window. Sakura looked around, confused as to why she was in this room, alone. She started to stand up, then saw something glow out of the corner of her eye. Her head swung to the left and she saw something red. Squinting, she slowly stood up, cautious. Inching closer, she realized she had made a mistake.**

** Sakura found herself once again chained to something. Her heart beat quickened as she noticed the red sky and the black background. Of all ways to be trained, it had to be _this _way? Sakura had never witnessed the Tsukuyomi before but knew it was painful and torturous. She bit her lip nervously and tried anxiously to break free. **

** "Don't waste your time, it's pointless." Sakura looked in front of her, and found Itachi standing there with a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. **

** "Bastard!" She made a move to lunge at him but was firmly held in place. **

** "Now now, relax. You honestly don't think I am going to hurt you, do you?" He chuckled cruelly. Sakura said nothing, anything she said would do her no good. She held in the ferocious anger that swam inside her, using all her strength to not scream out at this evil man. It would do no good anyway.**

** "Oh, we aren't talking this morning?" Itachi appeared beside the quiet girl, peering at her hungrily. His ruby eyes looked at her form fully, admiring it in all it's beauty. The girl didn't look at him, she had her head turned the opposite way, her breathing slowed. Itachi let the back of his hand slide down the side of Sakura's cheek and down her neck. He felt her stiffen at his touch and smirked. He turned her face towards his in a rough manner and saw the pain in her eyes. It was replaced by fire and she jerked her chin out of his grasp.**

** "Don't fucking touch me you bastard." Her voice was strong and slick, quite the opposite of how she was feeling. **

** "Ah, she speaks. Now let met see if I can get her to scream..." Itachi pulled out a long, threatening sword and without hesitation, sliced into Sakura's forearm. Sakura, holding her breath and stiff as a board, bit her lip as hard as she possibly could. The pain seared through her arm, a burning, stinging feeling instantly inflaming in her arm. Sakura let out a small moan of pain in trying to keep in her scream. **

** Itachi narrowed his eye's at the girl, disappointed that she did not scream. Blood trickled down her arm and into the black surface, disappearing completely. Sakura tasted blood from biting her lip and released the pressure. **

** "Let's try that again." Again, Itachi drove his sword into Sakura's flesh, this time on her left thigh. She shut her eyes as tight as possible and bit her lip in anguish. Her chest began to hurt from holding her breath and slowly, she let it out. She did not scream this time, but another moan let itself be heard. **

** "The more you refuse, the more I stab. And the more the pain will increase." Itachi said, nonchalantly. Another Itachi appeared beside the first, and another one next to him. "But first, why don't we get you out of those clothes? Wouldn't want them stained with blood now would we?" The two Itachi clones began grabbing and pulling at Sakura's clothes, she squirmed and protested which had no effect.**

** When the last piece of attire was taken off, Sakura glared silently at Itachi, hoping he'd burst into flames. Itachi's eye's roamed over Sakura's body slowly, taking in every detail. She didn't like the way he looked at her, like she was his prey, like she was a toy to be played with. Sakura spat at Itachi when he turned his smirk towards her. **

** Immediately, Sakura felt a stinging sensation on her left cheek as her head swung to the right harshly. Itachi grabbed Sakura by her chin and brought their faces closer together, they glared into each others eyes, a hot line of fire sparking between them. Sakura tried jerking her head out of his grasp again, but he held her firmly. **

** "In time, you will learn to obey your master and not act out of line." Itachi brought his arm up and slapped Sakura again, knocking her head sideways. **

** Sakura tasted blood in her mouth and spat on the floor, smirking at Itachi.**

** "That the best you got, asshole? I've taken worse." Sakura didn't know where that statement came from, it slipped out before she realized she started saying it. Itachi smirked in reply and, with frightening speed, slashed down Sakura's bare stomach. A fine line of red began to appear down her stomach and Sakura cried out. She tried to hold in her groans but failed to do so as the pain continued to burn. Itachi let a light smirk crease his face as he took in the girls screams. **

** "Is that enough for you? Or will you insist on provoking me?" Sakura clenched her teeth together and looked at Itachi through one eye, having the other shut tightly. **

** "You...are...pathetic..." **

** "You will find that I have very little patience. Especially during training." Itachi circled around the girl, hands behind his back, face grave.**

** "So what's your point?" Sakura said, glaring at the man as he walked.**

** "Okay, that's enough!" Itachi shouted. He swung his arm and slapped Sakura again, frustration showing in his eyes. He walked up to her and grabbed her by her hair, tilting her head sideways roughly. "From now on you will only speak when you are spoken to. You will not disobey me, you will not talk back to me. If you do," His voice lowered into a threatening whisper,"you will regret it. Do you understand?"**

** Sakura chuckled menacingly,"Obey you? Who the fuck are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? Sorry, _master_, but you can bite me for all I care."**

** Smirking, Itachi leaned down towards her neck and bit into her skin harshly. Sakura tensed and screamed, trying to shake him off. He clamped down harder and a fresh, agonizing scream sounded once more. Itachi leaned up and whispered,"Don't tempt me, my cherry. I will do things to you that you've never done before. I just have to train you first." He nipped at her ear, and tugged on it gently. **

** Sakura's breath was lodged in her throat, she shivered in place. Itachi backed away and Sakura stared at him. His eye's seemed to look right through her and a grin broke out on his face. Sakura looked him over fully for the first time. Dressed in the red and black coat with his jet-black hair tied back loosely, he looked calm and stately. Something about him caught Sakura's attention, she saw him slightly different. His grin widened with a knowing look in his eyes.**

** Sakura shook her head and an icy glare marked her face. **

** "Are we alright there, Cherry? We seem...distracted." He laughed as she narrowed her eyes to the floor. She bit her lip and said nothing, thinking to herself. The wounds she gained from Itachi still burned her skin but she ignored the pain. The kunoichi attempted to figure out why all of a sudden her mind betrayed her. She looked at him again and found the unknown difference was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief and gained her composure. **

** "Yeah, I was just looking at how stupid your face is. Really, Itachi, looking at you just makes me want to vomit." She smirked deviously as his face transformed into anger. When he said nothing, she continued. "What guy has their hair in a pony tail? Is that your feminine side showing? Long hair looks better on women than men."**

** "Shut it, kunoichi." Grabbing her hair, Itachi pulled out a sharp kunai. Fear screamed from her eyes as she knew what he was planning. "NO! NO! Don't! I'm sorry! Please...don't!" Sakura despised begging over something as ridiculous as her hair being cut off, especially to this man. But she couldn't have it cut off, it was a part of her. It took forever to grow it to the length it was now since it was cut all those years ago. **

** Itachi smiled to himself. He had found her weak spot. This was an opening for him. He gripped her hair in his left hand and held the kunai to it threateningly with his right. Sakura squealed and held still, afraid he might cut it if she moved. **

** "So, little Cherry has a weak spot eh? This proves interesting." Sakura kept quiet, not saying a word while her hair was being held hostage. Whimping out over her hair made her hate herself even more so. Yet she couldn't part with the long locks, she just couldn't. Itachi shook her by her hair, amusing himself. "Your hair is quite beautiful, my cherry. I'd hate to have to cut it off. I'll make you a deal, though."**

** Sakura bit her lip nervously, thinking of what he had in mind. The silence seemed to last for days until he said,"You may keep your hair as long as you wish, as long as you agree to obey me." His voice was smooth and serious, Sakura tried looking him in the eye but found it impossible. His gaze seemed to look straight through her like a window, it made her squirm. **

** Narrowing her eyes, reluctantly she said,"No..." **

** "This is your only chance to keep your hair and some dignity you have left, it'll also save you from a lot of pain and suffering. Think carefully." Sakura thought carefully, just like he said. She loved her hair but she wasn't going to make herself a slave over it. It'd grow back...eventually. She'd just have to deal with it..**

** "No." She looked him in the eyes this time, making her heart become stone. **

** "Shame." He gripped her hair and brought the kunai up. Sakura remained stock still as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She closed her eyes as she felt the kunai slice through her beautiful locks. She felt the grip of his hand release as he cut her hair, and soon he held her no longer. Sakura felt like her head was lighter, she felt empty. Biting her lip as hard as she could, she reluctantly looked at Itachi.**

** He stood before her, face blank. His right hand held her beautiful pink hair, the hair she loved so much. Tears streamed down her face as she realized just how hard this would actually be. **

_** A/N: Okay, Im sorry for the late update. I don't know who's still reading this but I'm trying to continue it. I apologize if u think the hair part is stupid or dumb, but I love long hair and I would literally kill someone if they cut my hair. Please tell me how this was, I need some information on my writing. I also edited the first three chapters a little so feel free to go back and read them. I would've had this updated like a week ago but there was this stupid error message that prevented me from doing anything :( But anywho, here ya go! Thank you! 3333**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

** Sakura didn't know how long it had been since she was placed in tsukuyomi; it felt like weeks. Her head drooped in despair as tears leaked from her sorrowful eyes. She felt as if a part of her was snatched away and torn into shreds, no longer keeping her whole. The slashes and wounds on her body still stung with pain but Sakura didn't notice. All she felt was empty, incomplete, and completely alone. **

** Itachi stared at the woman, his eyes were thoughtful as he took in her expression. The hair he just recently cut off lay on the floor between them, scattered. The look on Sakura's face made Itachi think over his actions. Seeing her with such a sad look made him regret what he had done. Itachi's eye's glazed over with compassion, and then irritation. Why was he re-thinking what he'd done? He never regretted his actions, never. **

** Stretching his arm out, he grabbed the woman's face and tilted her head up to look at her. Her eye's remained downcast and watery, glossed over with anguish and loss. Her face was wet and tears dripped onto his thumb as he held her face upright. Itachi's ruby red eyes examined the girl in interest. Something about her eyes made Itachi feel a foreign feeling, something different that he couldn't quite grasp. He didn't like this feeling and anger fumed inside him. **

** His hand twitched as he was about to raise it and hit the girl once again as a punishment for making him feel these feelings. Just when he was about to give her the hit, her eyes raised and she looked at him. The emotions he saw in her eyes made him stop and think. He hesitated, something he never did. The feeling in him grew stronger and he stared at her, frozen. **

** He saw the tears well up in her eyes, the pain that flooded her orbs, the misery that screamed from them. Time seemed to stop as he stared at her, something churned in his stomach, a feeling that was unknown to him. He watched her closely as her lips parted slightly, as a tear slid slowly down her cheek. His thumb instinctively reached up and wiped it away. She licked her lips and he watched her tongue slide over them slowly. They looked so soft and welcoming, he felt a pull towards her.**

** With his mind empty and his eye's glazed over, Itachi leaned in slowly towards Sakura. She continued to stare at him with that sad, despaired look in her eyes. She seemed to not care about anything anymore, that was alright with him. If she didn't care about anything then that would mean she'd be easier to control. His face neared hers slowly, he felt her warm breath on his face. Just a few inches away, he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes widened and he stared at her, dumbfounded. **

** Within seconds Itachi's hand struck Sakura across her cheek, leaving a painful red mark. Her body trembled and she began sobbing. Itachi's eyes were hard, anger flamed like a raging fire that couldn't be abhorred. Itachi closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and began to do what he should've started a long time ago. He began training Sakura. **

** He started off easy on her, telling her how she'd eventually become his, be his slave, lose herself to him. He bit her neck, caressed her breasts pleasurably and then painfully. He pulled her hair, called her names, hit her, kissed her. All the while she endured it in silence. There was nothing Sakura could do. She didn't think she'd be able to even if she could, she felt weak, helpless. It was as if her hair had held all her strength and willpower. Now that it was gone, she had nothing. She tried to muster up some courage, some hope. But what was the point? Like Itachi said, she'd eventually lose herself to him, so why even try and oppose it? She couldn't break free no matter what she did or said, it was helpless. She might as well just give in to him now. **

** Itachi grabbed roughly at her breasts and pinched them harshly, making her cry out. By the time this was over, her torso would be covered in bruises. Wouldn't matter, anyway, she thought. Nobody would see her body besides Itachi, and she doubted he cared. **

** Itachi attacked Sakura, punished her, trained her to be his. He was rougher on her then he normally was on his slaves. But he had a reason: she was special. Sakura would be his and only his, she wouldn't be shared. He'd use her for his needs only, and he'd have his own, personal fun with just her. Over time she'd learn to obey his rules, follow his demands without hesitation. He felt an intense need, a fierce hunger that seemed to grow stronger inside of him. The need to have her completely overtook him as he caressed, beat, and tortured Sakura. He had to force himself to stop.**

** Eyes squinted, chest heaving, Itachi restrained himself. Never before had he done so much to a slave in training then what he had just done. The beatings he gave to the girl marked her delicate skin, blood stains in various places. Sakura, unable to move from the violence that was just unleashed upon her, cried to herself quietly. Her now short hair was tangled and disheveled, her body ached to the point of no return; she couldn't take it anymore.**

** "Please..." Sakura, naked and bruised, found herself pleading for it to be over. At first Sakura didn't know it was her that was speaking, her voice came out quiet and raspy, dry. **

** "Please, what?" Itachi asked. If he was tired from the training, his voice certainly made you think otherwise.**

** "Please...Master..." **

** Itachi smirked to himself at this. So much progress in so little time. Who would've thought the girl was so weak? Itachi wondered how much into the training the girl had given in. Stepping closer so he was near her face, Itachi said,"Are you asking for more, my cherry?"**

** Sakura violently shook her head, keeping it down. Itachi put a finger under her chin and raised it gently, gazing into her green eyes. They were pleading, she didn't want anymore. **

** "Please...Itachi..." **

** A loud smack sounded off and echoed. Seconds later quiet sobs could be heard if listened to closely. Itachi had hit the girl, not out of anger, but out of training. He turned her face towards his and moved the strands of hair out of her eyes. Tears streamed down her red cheeks, eyes begging. **

** "What did I say about names?" He said strictly.**

** Sakura narrowed her eyes and said nothing. Itachi gave her head a little jerk to make her look at him, but they remained downcast.**

** "Look at me, Sakura." **

** At the mention of her name, Sakura looked into the crimson eyes of the Uchiha. Her heart jolted and quickened for a second before returning to its normal speed. He said her name with the utmost softness and security that she found herself gazing into his eyes like a dog waiting for a command. His face was stern, thoughtful. **

** "I'm sorry...Master..." She whispered, looking deeply into his eyes and practically falling in them. **

** "Good girl." Itachi petted Sakura's head rewardingly and she gave a weak smile. "I think you've had enough training for today." Before Sakura could blink, she was laying on the floor of the room she was tossed in carelessly. Itachi was nowhere to be seen, she noticed, as she looked around. She cried out when she felt something grab her by her arms and lift her to her feet.**

** "Get off me!" Sakura thrashed madly, which made her cuts and bruises burn with pain. **

** "Relax, girl." A man's voice said. Sakura was lifted off her feet and carried out of the room, all the while stinging with pain. She groaned as she was carried away by God only knew who. The halls were dark with very dim lights burning on the walls. The damaged girl could barely keep her eyes open and soon found herself drifting off to sleep. Before she could stop herself, Sakura fell asleep before she got a look at the persons face who was carrying her. His voice echoed through her mind as she dreamed of nothing but a sea of corrupt images of her life to be. **

** Sakura was set down on a rumpled cot that didn't look too clean. The man set her down gently so as to not wake her nor hurt her. He stared down at her with his delicate brown eyes, taking pity on her. He ran a hand through his crimson hair and pulled the thin, cotton blanket up to the girls chin.**

** _Just another girl to be tortured in this world._ The man thought to himself. Sakura sighed in her sleep, turning a little on her side. He moved a strand of her pink hair from her face, frowning at its length. _It would look so much more beautiful long._**

**Stepping back_, _he looked at her one more time before turning on his heel and leaving the room. **

_** Oh well. There's nothing I can do for her. It's up to her if she makes it or not. **_

**Part Two**

** The Akatsuki base was low and quiet that night, everyone was either asleep or off on business. Slaves slept in their room on their itchy cots, or whispered to each other about their lost dreams they had for their future. Old slaves were sound asleep, having already accepted their new life. New slaves cried quietly into their pillow, terrified beyond imagining. There were about fifty slaves all sleeping in that one room, cramped together. There were several slaves assigned to one master, sometimes they worked together and other times they worked alone. **

** The slaves weren't just toys for the men, they were used for every degrading purpose the masters thought of. The girls were servants, used to please the masters in any way they could, sexual or not. They were taught manners, discipline and were stripped of their own free will. The only time they had to themselves was at night, when they had to go to sleep. Only then could they break down and cry if they wanted to. They could think on their own, not that it mattered much. When you're a slave, there are no free thoughts. Every thought is meant for your master; how you could please him better, what you can do to not get whipped or punished. A slave was robbed of everything; their dignity, free will, freedom, their home. They had no rights, no voice, no life practically. Slaves had but one goal, and that was to serve their master as dutifully and as best they could. **

** By law, the act of owning slaves is illegal. But being the criminal organization that they are, the Akatsuki doesn't obey the law. They kidnap women and make them nothing more but a tool. They use them, torture them, bask in the fact that they can control and use people. It's beyond cruel, who could be so heartless? For years, the Akatsuki has been hunted and searched for, but everybody always came up empty handed. They switched their bases a lot, rotated so they weren't stuck in one place. For years girls have been kidnapped and taken away, and none were ever found.**

** Girls have tried to escape, tried to run away thinking they'll make it. As if it were that easy. When you are caught by the Akatsuki, there is no escape, there is no freedom. There's no bliss or paradise when you're with them, no smiles or happiness. And if you try to find that paradise, you will get severely punished. You will learn your lesson and wish you never tried it. When a slave tries to run, it's torturous hell for her. You'd be foolish if you tried it a second time.**

** The mastermind behind this whole crime is Uchiha Itachi. He started it all and he is hated and feared by many. After wiping out his entire clan, he fled and forced the brutal images out of his mind. Itachi joined the Akatsuki a year later, over time he became the leader and turned the whole organization around. New teams were made and adjusted to; plans were being developed and before they knew it, girls were being brought in one after the other. Five years later this is where the organization lay, thriving and still on its feet. **

** As the girls slept in their room, all was silent in the Akatsuki base. Itachi Uchiha sat in his throne-like chair, sipping a glass of red wine. He peered into the thick darkness, going over today's training. His mind pondered over the feelings that swelled inside him earlier. Those random, seemingly persistent feelings that still lingered in the shadows. **

** Itachi sighed and decided to see where relaxing got him. He set his wine down and stretched his arms above his head, resting his back against his chair, satisfied. The young man closed his eyes and was surprised to see a young, pink-haired woman behind them; beautiful green eyes gleaming with a **

**soft, tender smile stretching across her delicate face. Itachi felt himself relax even more after seeing her smile, though he never saw her smile in person. **

**He thought he felt his heart skip a beat but shrugged it off; there's no reason for his heart to skip a beat. She's just another girl whom he has claimed as his own, no more, no less. Why would _she _make _him _feel anything different? Answers rained in and he discarded every one of them, declaring them nonsense. **

** He opened his eyes and forced her countenance out of his mind. Picking up his glass, he placed his lips on the rim but didn't drink. Setting the glass back down, Itachi rubbed his chin with his left hand considerately. Unable to suppress a yawn, the young man sighed and got up out of his chair. A servant immediately rushed over to him, ready to serve him. Itachi ignored him and went to his room that was adjacent to the main room.**

** As he lay down with a heavy sigh, his mind was on the speed of light. A thought lingered in the back of his mind, shadowy and mysterious. He couldn't grab it and unravel its meaning, he was too tired and relaxed at this time. Itachi closed his eyes and decided to figure it out after his business trip to the Sound Village. **

**A/N: Well this chapter sucked...I would revise it but my mind isn't working right :/ And I'm paranoid about uploading too late, I hate to keep people waiting. I have an outline for the story and the next chapter will be awesome! I hope :D Thanks for reading, Reviews are always welcome! 333**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"I'll be gone until tomorrow, Pein. Until then you will take my place as leader and make sure everything is as it should be. I do not want to come back and find something similar as to what happened the last time I left, understand?" Itachi lectured the orange haired male that stood at attention.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Watch the slaves and make sure they do their job. If not, you know what to do." Itachi's eye's turned a crimson color as he stepped closer to the male. "Do NOT fuck up this time, Pein. It'll be your third strike, and I told you what'll happen if you mess up again. The only reason you're still here is because I owed you a favor, and it has been repaid."

"I understand, Sir. You don't have to worry. Everything will be fine." Pein reassured him. He made sure to keep his mind clear of all thoughts as he spoke to the Uchiha.

"I hope so." Itachi gave him a hard look, making sure to keep eye contact for several seconds, and then turned to leave. A thought struck him and he turned back to Pein abruptly, whom was still standing at attention, rigid. "Another thing. Make sure nobody, and I mean nobody, touches Sakura. She's mine. She is not to be handled, fondled, used, abused, or even looked at." His voice was one hundred percent sober, his eyes were aflame with possessiveness, and pure, severe honesty.

"I understand, Sir. Nobody will touch her, I'll make sure of it." Pein bit his tongue and waited anxiously for the man to leave, trying hard not to show any impatience.

"You better see that you do, Pein. I would hate to see everyone suffer the wretched fate that would fall upon them if they were to touch her."

Pein simply nodded and Itachi left for the Sound Village. Once he was gone, Pein relaxed his shoulders and gave a long, awaited sigh. He walked over to the chair that Itachi always sat in as leader. Pein smirked as he was filled with this ultimate power, he felt lordly. Taking his respectful place in the chair, he clapped his hands and a servant rushed over to him, getting on one knee before him. Peins' eyebrows knotted together in anger.

"Where's the other servant? Why does that bastard Uchiha get two servants while I lamely get one?" Another servant rushed over and dropped to his knee. "That's better. Now go fetch me some food and some water. No wait, I feel like celebrating. Bring me the best wine there is. Now hurry." He waved his hand in dismissal but they didn't move." Well? What are you waiting for? I said go."

"Uhm..forgive me, your lord. But, Itachi-sama is saving that wine for a special occasion. He would not like it if any other than he drank it."

Pein rubbed his chin in thought. "Still, get it. I'll just say the slaves got into the kitchen and found it. He'll go for that. Better yet, I'll say that girl Sakura drank it, he won't care. If he does, though, she'll just get punished, no worries. Now go, don't make me say it again."

"Yes, sir." They said and scurried out of the room. Pein sighed and slouched in his chair, resting his arms on the sides. The last time he sat in this chair was a couple months back, when Itachi was sick and had to stay in bed for a few days. Things got out of hand with the slaves and Pein was severely punished and scolded for not controlling the girls. He flinched at the memory.

A few minutes later, the servants returned with a tray of food and the bottle of wine Pein had asked for. They set the items on the table in the center of the room, standing at attention for any orders. Pein walked over to the table and sat down as one of the servants pulled back a chair. Before him sat several pieces of a delicious, moist roast, specially prepared; a baked potato and a small cup of soup. He immediately dug in as the servants stood on either side of him, hands behind their backs, waiting for a command.

"Pour me some wine."

**Part Two**

Sakura sat on her bed playing with her hair, running her hand over the now short locks. Her stomach growled at her for food but Sakura just kept playing with her hair. She sat against the wall with her legs pulled up to her chest. Her red blouse and pink skirt were tattered and dirty, starting to smell like sweat and other grime. Her body was still sore from her training, her cuts stung and her bruises pounded into her skin.

It was midday and Itachi hadn't called on her at all. Sakura was expecting him to drag her out of bed and into the pits of hell this morning, but she found herself sleeping in. Her bed wasn't as soft and snugly as it was back home, but it would have to do. Sakura was mostly glad that he didn't call upon her, she wasn't in the mood to get 'trained' today. Yet she couldn't help but wonder why Itachi didn't call for her.

It hadn't been that long since Sakura was taken, and Sakura was still as terrified and pissed as the first day. She didn't know what happened yesterday, why she lost her hope like that. Seeing all her hair on the floor like that just made Sakura die inside. She worked so hard on keeping her hair healthy and beautiful every day, it was the one main thing she cared most about; besides her friends and her family. She loved how it swayed as she walked, how it blew in the wind, how she could play with it whenever she wanted.

Now that wasn't possible, all her hard work was gone, stolen from her like a baby from its mother. Tears stung her eyes and she wiped them away before they reached her cheeks. She told herself it'll grow back, and it'll be better, stronger. The thought wasn't that reassuring but it calmed her down some.

The door banged open and a guy with slicked back, silver hair marched in. The girls that were in the room gasped and moved back on their beds, not making eye contact with him. Whispers broke out among the girls and the man glared at them all to cease the talking. Sakura stared at him as he walked over to her, keeping eye contact with him. She gasped as her cheek began to sting, he had smacked her. She ground her teeth together.

_ I am so tired of being smacked!_

"Don't fucking touch me you asshole!" The words sprang from her cracked lips before Sakura could stop herself. The guy grabbed her by her hair and craned it back painfully. His eyes bored into hers dangerously.

"Watch your tongue you little brat."

Sakura said nothing but knocked his arm out of her hair and threw a kick to his side. The man, caught slightly off guard, tried to dodge it but was hit somewhat in his side. He grunted and tackled Sakura, pinning her arms down at her sides. The girls watched in horror, scared for the pinkettes life.

"Get off me!" Sakura yelled in his face. He only glared at her.

"Look, you little slut. Just because you have a nice body doesn't mean you have any rights here."

"You really know how to get a girl, don't you old man?"

"I don't need to 'get' you. I can have your ass whenever I damn well please, bitch. And don't call me old man, I'm not that old."

"Sure you can, nice flirting tactics grandpa."

"You'll be using that tongue in a different way soon enough. Then we'll see who's talkin'"

The man laughed maniacally as he saw Sakura's expression change from defensive to worried. He lifted himself up and grabbed her. She pulled against him and fought him but he locked her arms to her chest and walked her forwards. Sakura kept fighting, though. She didn't know this man, didn't want to know him, and didn't like his attitude. The girls could only watch in horror as she was forced out of the room.

Sakura jabbed an elbow into his stomach and tried to break free, succeeding for a second as his hands loosened their grip on her arms. She got two steps ahead before she was yanked back by her hair.

"Ahhh...! Let me go you bastard!"

"Shut up." The man picked up Sakura and threw her over his shoulder. He ran a hand over her ass and smirked as she screamed at him. He wrapped his arms around her legs to stop the kicking as he carried her to his room.

Sakura thought frantically as to what to do. Throat dry and heart pounding, she did the only thing she could think of.

"Itachi! Itachi-sama!" Sakura yelled as loud as she could, hoping it would echo through the base and reach his ears. She pounded her fists against the strangers back furiously, hoping it would do something for her. The man seemed to be unaffected by this and continued onward.

"I said shut up!" The man yelled at her. He had reached his door and opened it, about to step in when he heard someone calling out.

"What was that?" Pein popped his head out around the corner and looked at where the man was.

"Oh nothing. Just one of the girls yelling the wrong name. I might have to punish her for that." He smirked evilly.

"Oh, alright then." Peins head disappeared a second later and the man closed his door and locked it.

Sakura tried to scream out as she heard another person out there, but it was muffled by the strangers hand covering her mouth. He pushed her on the bed and smirked at her. She crawled back on the bed to try and get as far away from him as possible, but he didn't seem too worried. His nonchalant expression made her worry more and she looked around for a way out. Sakura saw nothing but a window that she knew she wouldn't make it to in time. She gulped and tried to stay calm.

"You're not going anywhere." The man said, climbing on top of the girl after taking off his cloak. Sakura went to get off the bed but she wasn't quick enough and he held her down firmly. She struggled against him and glared as he chuckled at her. "Didn't I tell you not to talk shit? Now look where you are." He laughed loudly and Sakura kneed him in the gut. He coughed and was momentarily defenseless which let Sakura get her arms loose.

She was able to push him off and roll off the bed in a matter of seconds before he tackled her. She swung her arm back and landed an elbow to his face, he growled and grasped her arms in his big, cold hands.

"Get off of me!" Sakura yelled, twisting this way and that to try and lessen his grip on her. He held onto her like a cat on a mouse, he wasn't letting go.

"The more you struggle, the harder this will be. Relax!" The man was getting fed up with her by now. All he wanted was a simple lay and he would send her on her way but she was making it difficult, and he didn't like that.

"I said get off me!" Sakura threw her head back and knocked the man hard in the face, sending him slamming to the floor. Sakura went with him and she struggled on top of him, still in his grasp. She launched a swift elbow into his stomach and another to his cheek.

Sakura, heart pounding with perspiration trickling down her neck, ran for the door. She reached an arm out and felt something grab her ankle.

_No!_

The guy pulled her leg from underneath her and Sakura went down, throwing her arms out to catch herself. She clawed at the floor and hoped Itachi would hear the noise and come through the door and save her. As he flipped her over and got on top of her, she pleaded that he would walk through that door. Nobody came.

By now, she found herself crying hard. She didn't want to be here, in this room, in this place. Frustration and hopelessness overcame her in one sweeping motion; she didn't know what to do with herself. She knew as much as she struggled and fought this man, there was no getting out of it. She would have to have sex with him if she wanted to leave. She was a slave, this was her job. To pleasure the master.

"Give up already?" The man chuckled as he took off his clothing and started on hers. She didn't fight him, she just turned her head and squeezed her eyes shut. She pretended she was somewhere else, somewhere happy. She thought of being with Sasuke, she remembered the first time they kissed. His lips that caressed hers ever so softly that first night, when he took her out to dinner.

When the man kissed her neck, she thought it was Sasuke's lips on her skin. When he caressed her breasts harshly, she thought it was Sasuke playing rough. When he ran his hands over her body, she thought of the first time her and Sasuke made love. When he positioned himself above her, she closed her eyes tighter and felt the tears fall. She whimpered slightly as she felt him put himself inside her.

Sakura wished Itachi would walk through that door and stop this. She wanted Itachi more than anything at this moment.

_Why not Sasuke?_

Sakura caught herself and pondered the thought. Why not Sasuke? Why Itachi?

As the guy thrust into her, she tried to ignore the ugly pain that tried to grab her attention. Biting her lip, Sakura forced her thoughts onto the first thing that came to her mind. A nonchalant expression with piercing crimson eyes filled her vision. At first, she thought it was Sasuke, but then it got clearer and she realized it wasn't.

_Why am I thinking about Itachi so much lately?_

Sakura didn't have time to answer that question, because the next thing she knew she was being pulled up. Apparently the man had finished what he was doing and now he wanted Sakura to do her "job."

He pointed her head at his erection and she turned her head away. By God, she didn't want to do that. He grabbed her hair and forced her head down, but she refused to open her mouth. Reaching a hand down, the man squeezed her nipple hard and Sakura cried out. Doing what he wanted her to do, he pushed her head down onto his erection. Sakura struggled and placed her hands atop of his to try and remove them.

He leaned back and sighed, ignoring her protests. Sakura absolutely refused to do this, there was no way in hell this was happening. If he wasn't letting go, she'd make him let her go. So she opened her mouth a little more, and clamped her teeth down hard on his penis. He cried out and pulled Sakura off him, swearing as many words as he could think of.

Sakura fell back on the floor and smirked at his pain. She thought of making a smart remark but thought he looked pissed enough already. She watched him rub his penis and whimper like a baby, it took everything not to laugh out loud. He looked at her with a deadly stare and Sakura gulped. She scurried for the door, forgetting her clothes, and was able to open it but he grabbed her by her hair.

Holding onto the door frame, Sakura pulled forward, causing him to yank her hair backwards. She swiveled and swung at his face, landing a clean punch to his nose and hearing a disgusting crack. She sprang forward and felt a rush of freedom as she sprinted down the hall. She didn't know where she was going, though. She just kept running and running.

Out of breath and chest hurting, the girl opened the first door she saw and closed it quietly behind her. She placed her ear against the door and listened for footsteps. Nothing.

The pinkette let out a sigh of relief, and shivered. She felt violated, abused, and just dirty. Turning around, Sakura noticed she was in a bedroom, a fancy bedroom. An unnecessary large bed lay in the corner of the room to the left, couches in the center surrounded a fireplace. Wrapping her arms around herself, Sakura opened the door that she found led to a very clean bathroom.

Sakura looked behind her and around the bedroom, she listened for any sounds. Silence echoed throughout the room. She slowly walked over to the tub, turned the faucet and let the tub fill with nice, hot water. She walked over and shut the door quietly. Walking back to the tub, she let herself sink in and relax. She didn't think of what just happened, it didn't really come up either. Her mind was just thankful for the free space.

She scrubbed the grime off her body and sighed in content as she felt it wash away. Sadness crept in as she began to wash her hair. She remembered the length, how long it _use_ to be. Letting her fingers slide through the now silky strands, Sakura knew she couldn't be sad about this for forever. She was determined to work with her hair, be it short or not.

As she got out, Sakura realized she had no clothes. There was a full length mirror beside the door and the pinkette looked at her reflection. Her face scrunched up in disgust as she saw all the wounds and bruises that covered her body. With a hopeless sigh, she wrapped a towel around her frame, retracting her hand from grabbing another one for her hair. She left the bathroom, looking around to see if anyone had come in. The room was empty, it was as elegant and spacious as it was when she discovered it. There was an oak dresser beside the bed and Sakura walked over to it.

She tugged open the top drawer and saw neatly-folded shirts stacked on top of each other. They were all black. Seeing no other option, the pinkette grabbed the top shirt and closed the drawer. Sakura let the towel fall to the floor and slipped on the over-sized black shirt. It wasn't too big but it let in a draft, it'd have to do, though. Sakura yawned and walked around the bed to the enormous windows. Black curtains were spread apart to reveal the afternoon sun, and Sakura yanked them closed.

Sakura climbed into the bed and curled into a ball underneath the big, navy blue quilt and found the bed very comfortable. Within seconds, the darkness of the room and the warmth and security of the big quilt made the pinkette fall asleep with nothing but one thought in her mind.

**Part Three**

The day began as any other: the sun rose up and people prepared themselves for the day. For one certain Uchiha, though, the day was just ending, thankfully. He was up all night configuring business with the Sound Village and just wanted to relax in his big comfortable bed for a few hours. His eyes carried bags under them from lack of sleep, coffee did little for him.

He entered through the main entrance of the base and headed straight for his room. An urge to find Pein and see what damage was done this time came up but he didn't want to deal with the trouble now. He'd take a nap first and then deal with it. Then he remembered Sakura and had an even stronger urge to turn the corner and see her sleeping. He passed it, however, and once again, decided to deal with it later.

He opened his door and began undressing before he even took a step inside. He tossed his cloak on the chair beside the open door, which he kicked closed with his foot. He tugged his sweaty shirt and pants off and threw them aside as well, longing for that feeling of warmth. Itachi yawned and rubbed his face as he walked over to his bed.

Reaching for the covers and holding back another yawn, the Uchiha pulled them back and climbed inside. He scooted towards the middle, his favorite spot, when he felt something on the other side of him. Eye's snapping open to reveal the sharingan he immediately sat up and looked to his right. A soft, moving lump lay beside him and Itachi yanked back the covers and found a sleeping pinkette. His breathe hitched and jerked, his mind skidded to a stop.

_What is she doing in my bed?_ Was the first, among other questions, that popped in the Uchiha's head.

He watched her sleeping form as he pondered how she found his room. Was she looking for him? Did she run away and find his room? Did someone send her here?

Sakura lay on her side, facing him, and she breathed in slow, deep breaths. Her short hair fell over her face and it swayed gently from her breath. Entranced, Itachi moved the hair and tucked it behind her ear. He didn't know why nor how, but looking at her countenance while sleeping seemed to relax him even more. Seeing no harm in her being there, Itachi lay back down and moved himself closer to the sleeping girl. He pulled the covers up and laid a hand gently on her hip.

The girl felt none of this and continued to sleep. Itachi lay there, entranced by her beauty and tranquility. He didn't know how long he stared at her for, just that he didn't want her to wake up. Laying there with her, this beautiful creature, made the man feel warm, inside and out. He reached his hand up and touched a lock of her hair and let it sift through his fingers. Something inside him tugged him towards her, spread comfort throughout his entire body. And he couldn't resist. The man didn't know what to do with himself.

He sighed and dug his head into his pillow, hitting a wall for the first time in his life. Itachi barely knew the girl and was already fretting over her. It was his turn to be punished and tortured, he shouldn't be thinking about this. His brain seemed to agree and dragged him down to dreamland without a second thought. Itachi fell asleep holding the girl before he could stop himself.

Soon after Itachi fell asleep, Sakura slowly opened her eyes. She faced the wall and felt even more calm than usual lately. She felt extremely warm and realized that something was on her hip. Sakura reached under the blanket and pulled the unknown object out. Seeing a hand she immediately squealed, which was unlike Sakura, and jumped out of the bed within seconds.

Caught off guard, the pinkette regained her composure and looked over at the sleeping figure. Her eyes widened at seeing Itachi's face, and she almost fainted in astonishment when she saw his eyes were open and looking at her calmly. She stood there rigid as a rock and didn't know what to do. Should she leave? Apologize? Say good morning? Luckily, she didn't have to do anything, because Itachi made the first move.

"Good morning, my cherry. Sleep okay?" Itachi sat up and stretched. Sakura blushed at seeing him half naked and narrowed her eyes.

"Uh...Yes...Sir...Master...Uh...Did you sleep okay?" Itachi's head was blank for a minute until he realized that she was his slave and he was her master.

He cleared his throat and nodded, "Yes. Fine. I have a question. Why were you in my bed?"

Sakura immediately threw herself on her knees, unsure why she was doing so. She wasn't scared of him, she hated this man. Yet she bowed down in apology anyway. "I'm sorry, Master! I did not know this was your room! I'm so sorry, Master Itachi-sama!"

Itachi walked over to the kneeling girl and told her to stand up. She did so and bowed her head, avoiding his eyes. The Uchiha tilted her chin up and met her gaze with his sharingan. The girl seemed nervous to him, like she was worried.

"I am not mad at you, my cherry." She seemed to relax more at this. "How did you find my room?"

Sakura hesitated. She recalled the actions of the previous night and was too scared to speak of them. She barely remembered them, a forgotten action that barely meant a thing to her. The question is, what would it mean to Itachi?

"I was...wandering around...and came upon your room...Master Itachi-sama. I must have fallen asleep on your bed. I'm sorry." Sakura kept her eyes locked with his without hesitancy. Staring into his eyes so intently made her breath hitch and her mind slow. His gaze seemed to look into her eyes and suck out her very being.

Her eyes faltered but she caught herself and hoped he didn't catch it.

The steady composure of her expression displaced the Uchiha. His face was set to stern and he asked, "Why were you wandering around? You're not suppose to leave your room."

"I was called out." She said flatly.

Eye's aflame with anger and fury, Itachi's nose flared. "By who?"

Sakura flinched inwardly but answered his question, "A guy with gray hair and a shitty attitude." Itachi knew exactly who she was talking about the moment she said gray hair. He should've known he'd do this. His head swam with murderous intentions and he fought to hold them back. He stared at Sakura, afraid to ask what happened.

"He called me, more like dragged me to his room, and raped me. I could not do anything about it. I called for you but you didn't answer me." Sakura's green eyes screamed with anguish and sorrow. They seemed to say, "You weren't there to protect me. Where were you when I needed you?" Her voice was filled with hatred and poison, and Itachi didn't blame her. Sakura was his, she belonged to him, and that was suppose to be an advantage for her.

Giving her a sympathetic look that he hoped she'd understand how sorry he was, he said, "Go back to your room."

Sakura stayed where she was, content on figuring out why he didn't save her. Itachi saw her expression and prevented this from going any further. He pulled her to him and hugged her. His arms trapped her in a protective hug to which she felt secure in. Itachi placed a gentle kiss on her head and whispered in her ear.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. I swear it'll never happen again. I'll make sure of it." His tone was soft but vengeful, and Sakura felt slightly uneasy by it.

Sakura listened to the words that came out of the Uchiha's mouth. She couldn't believe Itachi could be this warm, protective. Respect for him grew higher and she gave a nod against his chest. He released her and immediately missed her warmth

"Go to your room. I'll call for you later."

"Yes, Master." Sakura gave a bow and walked towards the door.

"Hey, Sakura?" Itachi called to her.

Sakura stopped and turned her head, "Yes, Master?"

"You can keep the shirt. It looks better on you." Itachi wasn't looking at her, he had his back turned to her. Sakura couldn't see his face but she had a feeling he was smiling. The pinkette smiled herself and went to her room.

**Part Four**

Pein sat in his chair, that really wasn't his, but claimed as his for the time being. He had his legs crossed, and swung one foot up and down in a rhythmic manner, as he played with a cherry. He hummed a tune to himself as he debated on how to use his powers to his advantage. He could make the slaves entertain him, this time all at once. Or maybe even have them play with each other and then him. He laughed out loud and it echoed through the room, the joy of having so much power as leader elated him.

The laughter was cut off by the doors slamming open and an enraged Itachi storming through them. Pein gulped and quickly sat up straight at the site of his face.

"I...Itachi-Sama...Sir...You're back...When did you get back?"

"What did I say about keeping things in order?" Itachi yelled.

"Th-things are in order, Itachi-sama...What are you talking about?"

"Of course you wouldn't know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Hidan taking any girl he wants like he's the godamn king around here." Itachi ground his teeth together in order to keep from screaming.

Pein chuckled at this, which enraged Itachi even more. "You find this amusing?"

"Yes, I do actually." Pein sat back and got comfortable in Itachi's chair. He laced his fingers together and crossed his legs, smirking up at the Uchiha. "So Hidan played with your little bitch, did he? I'm assuming that enrages you."

"Get out of my chair, Pein."

"Or else wha-" Itachi grabbed Pein by his collar and lifted him up. He looked into Peins' eyes and released Tsukuyomi. The sky was filled with blood as Itachi stood on a sea of darkness. Pein screamed in agony as Itachi tortured him with everything he had.

Blood sprayed. Screams were never heard. Swords sliced skin. Anger was released. For days, which is what it seemed like, Itachi attacked ferociously at Pein.

"You think you can take my place as Master around here? You think you are better than me?" Itachi sliced painfully across his chest and took pleasure in his screams. He reluctantly released the jutsu, having better people to take care of.

Pein sat gasping in Itachi's chair, slowly recovering from the shock of the jutsu. Itachi lifted him up with one hand clenched on his cloak, the other pulled out a kunai and held it to Peins throat. His eyes widened and before Pein could say a word, Itachi sliced the mans throat and dropped him to the ground. The Uchiha stared down at him with merciless eyes that beamed with anger. Pein lay on the floor, gasping and coughing up blood, holding his throat to try and stop the bleeding. He coughed up more blood and fell backwards as the life drained from his eyes.

Leaving him, Itachi spun around, fists clenched and anger still boiling hot, and went to go find Hidan. Psychopathic images flooded his mind as he stormed through the building to find the man. He forced himself to calm down a little, just until he made it to Hidan's room. He kicked the door open furiously, hands trembling with anger, until he saw who was in the room. Eyes widening, Itachi let a low growl escape his throat as he glared at Hidan.

"Nice of you to join us," The gray haired man, Hidan, said with a sinister smirk. He laid on the bed, back leaning against the wall, hands neatly-folded in his lap, a devious countenance. To his right sat Sakura, tied up and worried. Itachi looked at the girl and saw fear and anger swimming in the sea-green orbs of hers. He clenched his teeth together tightly, glaring at the man with every fiber of his being.

Hidan laid a hand on the back of Sakura's neck, rubbing his thumb in slow circular motions along the side. Sakura jumped and attempted to move away from the man; Hidan squeezed her neck and she groaned in pain.

"What did I tell you about moving?"

"Get your hands off her." Itachi warned, taking a step closer to the bed. He didn't want to make any sudden movements, knowing Hidan all too well what he'd do. He'd do anything, he didn't have a damn thing to lose.

Hidan smirked and ran his hand along Sakura's neckline and down her arm. Sakura sat stock-still, holding in the bile that threatened to escape her from this man's touch. If her chakra hadn't been drained she wouldn't be sitting here waiting for someone to come save her. Even though, she admitted, seeing the older Uchiha so frustrated, and over her, made a nice sensation tingle her skin.

"What are you going to do, Uchiha?" Hidan dared. He ran his hand down the girls' side and down her thigh. He rubbed her inner thigh and inched closer to her womanhood.

"Get the fuck off me you asshole!" Sakura yelled, trying to move so his hand wasn't caressing her leg. Hidan gripped Sakura by the back of her neck, squeezing it tightly and making her whimper. He got close to her ear and whispered something incomprehensible to the Uchiha.

A hard thud was heard moments later, everything happened so quickly it was hard to even know what really happened. From Sakura's eye, all she saw was a blurred movement and then a thud. Weight being lifted off her then dead silence for several seconds came afterward. Out of the blue, the kunoichi felt faint and weak. Sakura's vision began to tweak and distort, fade to black then fade in.

A large shadow appeared before her and she felt herself being lifted. Something was pushed against her forehead and she wondered what it was and why it lingered for several seconds.

"It'll be okay. You're safe.." A voice whispered, reaching Sakura just before she felt herself be taken over by her subconscious.

**A/N-IM TERRIBLY SORRY FOR THE LONG DRAG ON THIS CHAPTER! I haven't been writing lately, been tired from skewl, busy with my boyfriend, sadly not in the way I wish, and just plain lazy. I'm sorry if this chapter sucked, please lemme know what you guys think. You guys hold me up, and I want to thank Koneko1991. I read her review and I was like, "Yeah I gotta write." So there's that chapter. If the next chaps drag I apologize deeply and ill try to motivate my lazy self =P Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing, luv u guys =D**


	7. Chapter 7

He watched her sleep. He watched her as she took in deep breaths and twitched her nose. He watched as her chest rose then fell softly with every inhale, with every exhale. He watched her sleep with a gentle expression on her beautiful face that he had come to love in a matter of days. He had opened the curtains a bit so the room wouldn't be quite so depressing. Sun light fell through the windows, falling on the sleeping pinkette. Her face glowed serenely, elegantly.

Just like an angel.

He watched her whimper slightly in her sleep and ran his fingers through her pink hair. He frowned as he slid his hand down a stray lock, hating himself for what he had done. He shouldn't have messed with her the way he had, she didn't deserve it. She didn't deserve anything he had done to her.

She shouldn't be in such a dreadful place.

He wasn't just talking about the depressing room; it was the horrible life she now lived. This beautiful creature doesn't belong in a disgusting environment. She deserves better than this awful life that he forced her into. Looking back now, he didn't know who he thought he was. The all-powerful Uchiha? The great Master of all slaves? Some bullshit that is...

Itachi didn't want to admit it, but once the girl was brought to him at long last, he couldn't for the life of him, get her out of his mind. He didn't expect this to happen, he didn't even think of her as nothing more than a slave. Yet, as the days grew by, he noticed something inside the pinkette that attracted him to her. She was beautiful, strong, sophisticated, and strong-willed. Itachi had never met another woman like her, he found himself needing her every day. Just to see her sparkling serene eyes were enough for him. Yet he wanted so much more with her.

He knew she would never want him, who would want such a horrible man? He murdered his entire clan, with the exception of his brother, who is out to kill him. He fled and joined the Akatsuki, a criminal organization made up of rogue ninja, feared by all. Becomes the Master of all his slaves, whom he kidnapped and took away from their families for his own needs. Itachi is hated by many, feared by many, nobody would want such a selfish, evil man.

It was at that point when the Uchiha decided that he had to let her go. Staring at this sleeping beauty that lay beside him, he knew it was the right thing to do. She didn't belong here, she had a life of her own to live. From what he knew, the girl was dating his younger brother and was happy. His chest began to cringe as he realized just how hard it would be to let her go. Even though they never shared any romantic moments, never became anything more than slave and Master, he needed her. As difficult as it was to admit it, he knew he did.

With a gentle sigh, Itachi leaned back against the wall and gazed at the girl. Unconsciously, he moved a piece of hair out of her face.

"What have I put you through?..." He whispered gently.

The girls eyelids fluttered open and looked at Itachi sleepily. She lay still for a while, just staring at him as he stared at her. No words were spoken; no movements were made to disturb this peace between them. Itachi looked at her with sorrow, regret, passion. The pinkette gazed into his eyes with an unknown feeling, as if she was fighting with herself on what she desired most. She felt something for him; she just didn't know what it was. Hatred was one, but that wasn't what she was feeling as she looked into his eyes. There was something stronger that was burning deep down in the pit of her stomach, something she knew that would mark a new trail to walk on.

The depth of the darkness in his orbs pulled her towards him like a magnet. They were so deep, so honest. She wanted to know more about him, who he really was. She knew she was staring at him with glazed-over eyes, she knew her heart was pounding faster than it should be. She knew she didn't want it to stop. She knew she couldn't stop even if she wanted to.

The pinkette licked her lips, wetting them a little from being too dry. Itachi watched her tongue slide across the softness of her lips and wanted to taste them for himself. On impulse, the Uchiha leaned in slowly towards her, taking a chance. Doubts swam in his head like a current of negativity, his heart pounded against his chest and he couldn't breathe.

What is this girl doing to me...?

The pinkette watched him as he leaned in towards her. Her mind screamed in frustration and confusion. Her tongue was stuck in her throat and her mouth was dry. She licked her lips and looked in his eyes; half-lidded with an expression of desire that sent her over the edge. Itachi moved slowly and cautiously, waiting for any sign to make him stop. When there was none and he was clear to come in, he pressed his lips gently against hers. She let him do so without protest and kissed him back.

Fire burned in the Uchiha's chest, the fire ignited by the kiss sent him reeling. He placed his strong, masculine hands on either side of her face and held her as he kissed her. She moved ever so slightly towards him and deepened the kiss by placing her hands on his. Neither of the two had ever had a kiss such as this; one filled with fire and passion mixed with power and need. They moved their lips together desperately, hungry for each other. Slowly Itachi let his tongue pass the boundaries of Sakura's lips, invading the warmth and privacy of her own. She welcomed it and let her tongue greet his, they danced and twirled around each other in a hypnotic trance.

Then, out of nowhere, Itachi broke the kiss in mid-french. His chest heaved and his eyes filled with sorrow and honest regret. The girl simply stared at him, a trail of saliva sliding down her chin. Her eyes pleaded for him to come back and kiss her again, but he couldn't. He had to do what was right, even if it hurt himself in the end. With a heavy sigh, the Uchiha got out of the bed slowly and stood with his back facing her for several minutes. Sakura waited for him to say something, waited for him to come back to the bed.

"Sakura."

The deep tone of Itachi's voice made Sakura look at him with sobriety. Fear filled her stomach and she thought she was going to vomit, though she waited patiently for what the Uchiha had to say.

"I want you to leave."

A blank expression washed over the girls face as she took in these words. "Leave?" She repeated, confusion marking her voice.

"Yes."

Anger took over and she shot out of bed, clenching her fists. "You can't just kiss me and tell me to leave like that!"

"Yes I can. I just did. Please, just leave." Itachi's voice was drowning into a whisper now.

"I'm not leaving, Itachi." Sakura crossed her arms and glared at the back of his head. He spun around in a flash and marched over to her. He grabbed her by her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes with pain.

"Don't you understand, Sakura? I'm setting you free! You're free to go, go home and live your life. You're not my slave anymore...And I'm not your Master." He went to his bathroom and closed the door, leaving her there, stunned in silence.

**Part Two**

Sakura stared blankly across the room, frozen in place like a statue.

_ Did he just say...What? Free? _

Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to be free at this point. Maybe in the beginning when she still wanted her old life, but now, now she didn't know what she wanted. Then came her boyfriend's older brother, and before she knew it she replaced her thoughts with fresh ones. Sakura missed her friends a lot and wanted to see them again. But how could she just walk out and leave when part of her would be left behind?

Wiping a stray tear away, the girl walked over to a desk and scribbled something on a pad of paper. She placed the pen beside it and reread it, her fingers lingering on the desk. She exhaled slowly and deeply, forcing herself to move. Her body felt rigid as she walked to the door, lingered for a second and looked back. The bathroom door remained closed. Sakura walked out and shut the door behind her gently.

It took everything the pinkette had to not cry. She bit her lip fiercely and held her head high, forcing her mind to retreat and black itself out. She walked rigidly to her room, thinking of nothing other than getting out.

I get to see Sasuke again.

Sakura told herself over and over again those six words, "I get to see Sasuke again." She ignored her traitorous thoughts and kept on walking, thinking of only those six words.

The pinkette opened the door to the room and stepped inside. She stopped with one foot in the door as she took in her surroundings. The room was cold and dark, with no sense of life in it. Every bed was empty, made up neatly. There was an eerie feeling in the air that made Sakura shiver.

"All of them couldn't be called out...Could they?"

Sakura bit her lip and thought for a second. Spinning around, she backtracked the way she had come and opened the door she had closed just recently. Flying through the doorway, the pinkette looked around the room for Itachi. She noticed the door to the bathroom still closed and she strided over to it and pressed her knuckles against the solid door in a soft knock.

She hopped from one foot to the next impatiently before Itachi finally opened the door. His face was blank and his eyes seemed to have lost all life in them. He stared at her with the darkest expression she'd ever seen and she stopped herself from taking a step back in fear.

"Why are you still here?" He said in a tone that seeped with resentment. Sakura fought back her own resentment and got to the matter at hand.

"The girls aren't in their room."

"You came here to tell me that?" He stared at her with disbelief in his eyes; she could see what almost looked like hatred beginning to surface.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows and clenched her right fist, anger quickly erupting. She pushed it back down with a fierce force and cleared her throat before speaking. "I don't think all of them are with their Masters. I think they've run away."

Itachi stared at the pinkette, he didn't know whether to believe this or not. How could they run away? Without anyone noticing? Is she just lying to stay here and see me?

By Sakura's stance and determined countenance, Itachi had a feeling she was telling the truth. He straightened his posture and walked past her and out the door. Sakura followed quickly behind him and noticed how confident Itachi's gait was. She couldn't help herself and looked him up and down, finding her observations very exciting. Itachi was very muscular and thin, his body seemed to scream, "Sexy but deadly," and that he was.

Sakura ran into his back, not realizing he stopped, and Itachi quirked his eyebrow at her. She shrugged apologetically and he opened the door to the slave room. He found exactly what Sakura had found: nothing. Itachi turned on his heel in haste and ran to every room in hopes of finding someone. But he found nothing; the base was empty except for himself and the girl.

"I have to go find them. You should return home." Itachi stated, pulling on his cloak and walking towards the main entrance.

"I'll help you find the girls." Sakura said, following Itachi out the door into the warmth of the sun. She didn't want to leave him; she wanted to be by his side at all times.

The Uchiha swung around, face contorted in anger. "No, you will not help me. I told you to go home!"

Sakura took a step forwards and reflected his own anger back at him. "You can't tell me what to do! I'm not yours anymore!" There was a pause of silence after those last words, affecting them both. They both saw the truth in the other's eyes but neither of them spoke it aloud. "I'm going to help you find them, you don't know where they are and one person can't find that many people by himself." I don't want to leave you.

"I don't need your help." Itachi muttered as he turned around and sprinted into the forest. Sakura followed right behind him, keeping up with him perfectly. Neither of them spoke after that, already forgetting their last words.

The two jumped from one tree to the next, eyes scanning, ears listening for any sign of the girls. So far there was none, making the Uchiha more and more aggravated. Sakura looked at him from the corner of her eye, saw his face contorting in anger.

The girl smirked and said, "Is the famous Uchiha getting mad?"

"Shut up." Was all he said.

"You know, if you had better people in your organization, this probably wouldn't have happened. But I guess you knew that already didn't you?"

"I said shut up."

"I wonder how the girls got out so easily. Maybe it was because you're really not all that dangerous and badass; maybe you're just weak." Itachi had had it, he jumped over to Sakura and pushed her against the tree. Her eyes were wide at first but then sank into amusement.

"Did I hit a soft spot, Uchiha?" The pink-haired kunoichi whispered.

Itachi pressed his arm against her neck and held her left hand pressed securely against the bark, intending no means of escape. He leaned in close to her so their faces were barely a few inches apart. He felt her hot breath on his lips and intertwined his fingers with hers. Sakura didn't protest or say a word, just stood there silently, enjoying the closeness between them. She held his gaze and felt herself get lost in his dark, mysterious eyes. Itachi felt his heart rate speed up, his body yearned to be closer to hers; to feel her body pressed against his.

He dipped his head slowly, gradually getting closer and closer to Sakura's lips. They parted ever so slightly, allowing him full access. He kept his gaze locked with hers as his eyelids gradually fell. He felt his lips barely touching hers and started to lean in closer until he heard a noise. The Uchiha stopped where he was and listened carefully, eyes opening to their full view.

Sakura listened as well, allowing her ears to zone in on the source of the noise. Simultaneously, Sakura and Itachi darted their eyes at each other and spoke with out words.

The girls.

Forgetting their private moment almost completely, the two sprinted over to the source. They hadn't been too far away from them; the girls were roughly 200 feet away from their position. They found them sitting on the ground, grouped together, relaxing.

Sakura looked at all the girls, all fifty girls that Itachi 'owned.' They were laughing and smiling, something Sakura was sure they hadn't done in a long time. She remembered the day she was taken here, away from her own life, and wondered what the hell it was exactly that she was doing. She stopped in her tracks, eyes locked on the dirty ground and chewed on her lip. Itachi noticed and stopped, irritated that she was slowing him down. They were right there, they could leave any second, and she wanted to stop?

"What are you doing?" He peered at her as she chewed on her bottom lip in concentration. Sunlight hit her hair and made the pink locks glow. She looked like a Goddess standing there, a serene, elegant Goddess that was too good for him.

After a few seconds pause she looked up at him, face thoughtful,"I can't."

"If you used a complete sentence instead of two words that made no sense, I could understand what the hell you are talking about." Itachi didn't mean to sound rude, it was just his bad temper getting the best of him.

"I can't go on and help you get the girls. I don't know what I was thinking." But she did know what she was thinking. Sakura acted on impulse, just to be with Itachi and be there for him she automatically decided to help him with the girls. She would do anything for this man, she now realized. And in desperation to help him, she agreed to be like him and take innocent people away from their freedom. She couldn't do that.

"And why is that? Oh, is it because your heart is too innocent and pure to hurt these girls? Is that it? You don't want to take them away from their lives?" Like I did yours.

Unexpected tears brimmed Sakura's eyes and she fought to hold them back. "Yes. I can't do that to them."

Itachi watched the girl struggle inside, with what exactly he wasn't sure. He knew she was too good to continue with it, he didn't expect her to follow through. She was strong, but there were just some things you couldn't bring yourself to do. Watching her now, though, she looked so fragile, delicate. He wanted to hug her and reassure her that everything was going to be okay, but he was afraid if he touched her, the damn might break. She'd brake.

"It's okay." He whispered.

Sakura brought her head up slowly and looked at the Uchiha. His eyes were honest and she was filled with warmth just by looking into them. As Sakura stared into the deepness of his orbs she saw it really was okay. He meant what he said, and Sakura couldn't help but feel more attached to him. She took a hesitant step forward, as if moving too fast might chase him away into the mysterious forest and she'd lose him forever. He simply stared at her, his expression calm and attentive. She bit her lip and sprinted forward with frightening speed. Itachi, expecting a hug, was surprised when he was knocked to the ground and heard something whip past him.

He tilted his head back and saw all his girls standing behind him, glaring with the utmost hatred anyone could ever behold. Sakura got off the man and crouched into a fighting stance, ready for another attack. The Uchiha got up and stood beside Sakura, body erect and calm unlike the kunoichi beside him. All the girls moved in slowly, cautiously, as they circled around the couple. They all held weapons of some sort in their hands, taking advantage of their only possible chance to get back at the man who stole their lives away from them.

Itachi held his composure just like he always did, he kept his body relaxed and alert. On the outside, Itachi was a smooth criminal without a worry in the world; but on the inside, Itachi was dying more and more every second. Seeing all the girls that he tortured and enslaved, kidnapped and abused, all ready to grab their one and only chance at justice brought about a new feeling inside him. He wasn't accustomed to feeling this sinking, dreadful feeling that made him want to regurgitate last night's meal. He was learning a whole clump of new things lately.

At the side of him, Itachi felt the pinkettes energy radiating off her body like the hot, burning sun. He peered at her in his peripheral vision and saw her face was made up of determination and strength. He knew pretty well that both of them together could take on all the girls, it'd be a piece of cake. He alone could take out most of them if not all of them. Itachi turned his head in her direction, saw her body rigid and alert, just the way he knew she was taught. She was a strong girl, Sakura was, and seeing her about to fight made her even sexier than she already was. But Itachi wouldn't let her fight, because he wasn't going to fight.

Itachi was going to do something he never thought he'd do in a million years.

He was going to run.

**Part Three**

Sakura watched closely as the girls circled in around her and Itachi. She clenched both of her fists and controlled her chakra so it spread evenly through her body. She was positive that with Itachi, they could beat all of them without a sweat. Not all of them were skilled ninjas, only about less than half knew how to actually fight; but that didn't mean they were strong enough to take down Uchiha Itachi and herself. This would be a piece of cake.

She didn't want to hurt them, though. Sakura knew they were just beyond pissed at Itachi and wanted their chance to take him down. Or at least try to. Looking at all of them, she saw that they knew they didn't stand a chance. Some girls were slowly backing away, towards safety, not wanting to get anywhere near the guy. Others were glad they found Itachi, revenge marked their haggard faces as they thought only of their target. It would be hard to hurt them, but maybe she didn't have to. She could just knock them unconscious and let them wake up later, with her and Itachi nowhere in sight.

Itachi stood so close to Sakura she could feel his body heat radiating off him. If she let herself think about him, she'd lose her breath and weaken at the knees. So she kept her mind clear and attentive, for now. The pinkette exhaled deeply, lacing her fingers together and cracking them to prepare herself. She let a small smirk come across her face as she realized something.

I'll be fighting next to Itachi. I'll be working with him, side by side. Who would've thought?

"I'll take the left while you take the right. Sound good?" Sakura said, looking at him.

Itachi shook his head, looking straight ahead, "No." Sakura opened her mouth in astonishment and quirked an eyebrow.

"What? But Itachi-"

"No, Sakura." He spoke low so the girls couldn't hear him. They were getting closer and if he didn't act soon, it'd be too late. He turned towards the girl he loved, and looked into her eyes. He felt that invisible connection when he met her gaze and forced himself to not look away. He willed his heart beat to slow down.

"I'm sorry, Sakura. Thank you for everything."

Itachi raised a hand forward and placed his finger under her chin and tilted her head up slightly. He leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. Sakura held her breath and wasn't expecting what happened next. She felt something hard hit the back of her head and her eyes went from being wide-open, to closing completely within seconds. She was unconscious before a single thought could form in her mind.

**Part Four**

Sakura's eyes opened slowly, blinking a couple times to adjust to the bright light. She groaned as she felt the pain in the back of her head start to pound and squeezed her eyes shut. She raised a hand to her head and channeled chakra into it, placing it over the spot that pounded furiously; she let her headache shrink to an insignificant size. Feeling much better without the pounding in her head, Sakura opened her eyes and looked around the room she lay in.

Familiar objects filled her vision as she scanned her whereabouts. It took a few moments for the girl to realize where she was; she was in her room.

Back at Konoha.

But she couldn't be in Konoha, the last thing she remembered was that she was with Itachi in the forest. They were about to fight, so how'd she end up here? And where was Itachi?

Sakura sat up and swung her legs over the bed. About to stand up, she noticed a piece of paper on her night stand folded up neatly. She stared at it for a moment, knowing it had to be from Itachi, and reached a hand out to pick it up. Holding her breath, Sakura opened it and let her eyes process the words that were written in neat handwriting.

"Dear Sakura,

I have brought you back to your home undetected. I regret to say that we can never see each other again for your life is far different from mine. I am, however, glad to say that you are able to live your life the way you planned before I interfered. I will not be an intrusion again. I must admit something to you that I did not, unfortunately, have the time to admit during our short time together. This is hard for me to say, even through writing, for I have never said or felt anything like what I am feeling right now.

Sakura, my sweet, beautiful, Cherry Blossom, I have never in all my years thought I'd fall for anyone. Until I met you. I never expected to fall in love with you, as I have done. That wasn't the reason I meant for you to be brought to me. But I have, Sakura. This is why I sorrowfully decided to let you go. I don't deserve you, and you already have my little brother whom I'm sure you're happy with.

Please, don't worry about me. I have taken care of the girls and left the industry behind and gone somewhere where no one will find me. A place with much sorrow, and plenty of regret to last me a lifetime. I don't know what shall happen to me but I just wanted you to know how I truly felt. I'm sorry for all the pain and sorrow I inflicted upon you and hope, in time, your wounds, physically and mentally, will heal. I have never regretted anything more than hurting you, My Cherry. I love you. I'm sorry.

Sincerely Yours,

Itachi "

Sakura sat in awe, her eyes frozen on the letter that Itachi had left her. Her mind worked slowly to process the words that Itachi had written not too long ago. When it finally sunk in, she re-read the letter once more to make sure she hadn't read it wrong, looking for any sign of hatred, but the words were the same and the heartfelt meaning behind it was still there. Sakura couldn't believe it; Itachi loved her.

And I love Itachi. It felt so good to admit those words, Sakura realized as a sense of relief flooded over her as the words settled in her mind. I love Itachi.

Realizing what she had to do, she threw the letter aside and sprinted out of her bedroom. Not wasting any time, Sakura sprinted out of her house, not bothering with the locks, and headed for the main entrance to the village. A thought crossed her mind as she ran. Where am I going? She had no idea where Itachi might be, not even where the Akatsuki base might be. There was no hint of his whereabouts in the letter, either. A feeling of dread and hopelessness quickly bubbled up inside her. I'll never find Itachi.

A silent breeze blew gently, made the heat from the sun dance around the village, making the temperature hotter. The kunoichi slowed to a walk, eyes looking down, her hopes in the same direction. Her short locks fell in around her face, obscuring her tears and sorrow that quickly ebbed from her eyes. Loneliness swept over her heart, even though in truth, the girl wasn't quite that alone. Not in Konoha. Sakura didn't realize, as she walked aimlessly through her village, that her boyfriend, her friends and family, were there with her. Maybe not right beside her, but there in the village. They were there. Looking, missing, and hoping for her to come back.

Yet, Sakura only thought of one thing and one thing only; Itachi. The man who had stolen her, all of her. Including her now broken heart. Her mind traced over the words in that letter, analyzed, searched for any hint he may have given her without knowing. The only clue Sakura could come up with was the part where he said the place was full of sorrow and regret. Sakura racked her brain for any place pertaining to sorrow and/or regret. There was, of course, his base, but he wouldn't be there. People could find him there.

Somewhere where he can't be found...sorrow and regret...

The pink-haired kunoichi stopped dead in her tracks as realization hit her. She turned around and ran back the way she had come. How could she have been so stupid, so clueless, so slow. It was so easy! A place where nobody would ever think to look, and a place where he had regrets and was full of pain and sorrow.

Sakura stopped at the front entrance of the Uchiha mansion. He'd be here, she knew it. Taking a deep breath, she went through the gate and walked up the path to the front door. She stared, dumbfounded, for a second. Should she knock? Walk right in?

Going with the latter, Sakura turned the knob slowly and pushed. It opened with a silent, eerie creak that rang throughout the house. She pushed it open further and stepped inside. Looking around gingerly, the girl saw nothing or no one in sight. She couldn't feel a presence lingering anywhere nearby so she assumed he was masking his chakra. Or he just wasn't here and she was wrong.

Dread clenching her stomach, Sakura quietly searched the house. He's here, I know he is. Cobwebs, dust, and old furniture filled with years of memories and neglect lay throughout the house. Despite the beautiful rays emanating from the sun, the house was dark and mysterious. Sakura scanned the halls as best as she could, debating on which room to start with first.

Might as well start in the kitchen and work my way around.

**Part Five**

He sat in his old room that he had grown up in since he was little. He lay on the cold, dusty floor with his right arm covering his eyes. The room was dark and murky, it fit his mood nicely. Itachi's heart ached with all the pain that had been caused in the past week. He felt terrible about his life, what he'd done to everyone and to himself. He just wanted to crawl in a hole and die right then and there. But it'd be a long time before that happened, a really long time.

Itachi let out a long, steady breath. His eyes burned with unshed tears that kept piling up every time he thought of Sakura. His heart pounded fiercely, his breathing hitched and his eyes stung at the memory of her. Itachi longed for her, needed her. She seemed the answer to all his problems; not that he had any before she came along. But when she had, it was like his eyes opened up to all the gloriousness that lived in this world. Before Sakura, Itachi had only lived in a black mask that forbid him to see the light. His life was made up of lies, betrayel, pain and anger.

He had no reason to smile, unless it was malevolent or crude. He had no reason to share a conversation with anyone pertaining to anything besides business. He wasn't thinking about how his brother was doing without him. He didn't have thoughts about the outside world. Never wanted to. Until Sakura showed up. Before her his life was fine, dark and lonesome but otherwise fine. Now all Itachi could do was think of her and how life could've been. Could be. He could've had a life with her, he still could have a life with her.

With an annoyed grunt, the Uchiha propped himself up on an elbow. His ponytail fell over his shoulder and he remembered when Sakura had laughed at him. He remembered her hair, before it was cut by his evil hands. It was out of pride that he cut it. He had to, he couldn't let her make him weak. But that's what she did to him, she weakened him and he couldn't do anything to help himself. He loved the girl.

He shook his head and stood up. It was time to stop thinking and figure out what he was going to do. He couldn't stay here forever, he'd eventually be found and he didn't want to think of what would happen then. Turning around the corner he heard something in the adjacent room. Someone was in the kitchen. Sticking his back to the wall and making sure he was fully masking his chakra, Itachi carefully crept in closer. It couldn't be thieves, there was nothing here of value, he thought. Nobody would come in here, or so he had thought.

Feeling out for the strangers presence, he poked his head slowly around the corner when he knew it was safe. What he saw did not make him happy. Yet at the same time it did. Sakura walked around in the kitchen, inspecting the place like she was about to move in. Hell, maybe her and Itachi could move in together. The Uchiha cursed himself under his breath and silently crept backwards. He had to get out of her before she found him. Despite his longing for her and his desire to be with her, he couldn't face her right now. Not now.

Before Sakura could get to the living area, Itachi crept back into his room and carefully shut his door. He thanked God it didn't creak. Itachi heard her footsteps coming closer. Creeping over to the window, Itachi slowly opened it and placed his leg over the ledge. Turning his head towards the door, he saw the doorknob beginning to turn. He threw himself out the window in a flurry, cutting his leg on a nail in the process. He quickly scurried into some bushes and waited, heart stammering.

Through the leaves he saw her look out the window and turn back inside. He didn't realize he was holding his breath and he let it out. I'm hiding in bushes because of this girl. What happened to me?

Itachi crawled his way through the bushes, coming out and standing stock-still behind an oak. He just had to get to the gate and out the front entrance of the village and he'd be fine. Cautiously, he turned his head to look around the tree. The coast was clear. His blood pounded in his ears as he silently crept towards the gate. Not only could Sakura not find him, but neither could the rest of the village. If anyone were to see him-

"Itachi!" A loud, booming voice from behind called out. Itachi stood frozen, right hand pushing open the gate, leaving it slightly ajar, squeezing his eyes shut in hopes he didn't hear his name.

"I knew you were here." Sakura said more calmly, sounding closer than before. Itachi let out a hoarse breath all the while wondering where he had gone wrong. "Why are you evading me?" She laid a soft hand on his shoulder and he knew, that if he were to turn around, he'd see that poor, innocent, questioning gaze that he'd fall prey to. He'd see her serene, Goddess-like features and his heart would pound, his breath would hitch. His heart would swell and burst into pieces at the thought of him hurting her again.

The gate swung open and made a harsh thud against the stone as Itachi was about to turn around. His gut clenched and twisted in his stomach as he saw not just his little brother, Sasuke, but the rest of the Leaf ninja all standing before him.


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura's blood went cold as she saw all her friends standing on the opposite side of the gate. All of them wore hard, cold, merciless faces that told Sakura that this could not possibly end well. Worse yet, Sasuke stood face to face with his brother. The man he had sworn to kill since they were training to become ninja. The man she now loved and wouldn't let anything happen to. Sakura saw her boyfriend's face: his eyes she looked into so deeply, the hair she ran her fingers through, the lips she kissed. Seeing him after what had happened brought a storm of joy and relief to her. It also brought fear and nervousness with it as well.

"Sasuke!" Sakura came around Itachi and looked meekly at her boyfriend.

"Sakura!" It was Naruto who had spoken first, his face broke into a smile as he turned his gaze on her.

"Let her go, Itachi." Sasuke's voice was deep and menacing, his sharingan was already activated and his fists already clenched. Itachi stared into his little brothers' eyes with no hint of emotion. And no intention of letting Sakura go.

"No." Sasuke's fists tightened and his teeth clenched harder. The older Uchiha smirked as he saw the rage blow up on his younger siblings face.

"Wipe that smirk off your face!" Sasuke shouted, raising his fist in the air and swinging towards Itachi. He dodged it swiftly and effortlessely pushed Sasuke to the side. Rebounding, Sasuke tried another blow to Itachi's head but missed as he appeared behind him.

"Too slow, little brother." Itachi held a kunai to Sasuke's throat, a meager restraint but one nonetheless.

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled. All heads turned to her in confusion. "Itachi let him go," When his hand didn't drop she added,"Now." She met his gaze and dared him not to. When he released his brother with a sigh, everyone stared in astonishment, mouths agape. Even Sakura patted herself on the back. However, Sasuke saw that as an opening and quickly jammed his elbow in Itachi's face, stunning him and catching him off guard.

Sasuke, seizing the opportunity to settle the score with his brother once and for all, placed his right palm over his left hand. In seconds, birds were chirping loudly and a blue, electric orb appeared under Sasuke's hand. A looming, seemingly sadistic smirk spread across Sasuke's face as he saw his brothers' death appearing before his merciless eyes.

"No, Sasuke!" A chorus of shouts called out to Sasuke but noone made a move to stop him. But Sakura.

"No!" Sakura cried as she charged towards Itachi, who stood twenty feet away from his brother, unmoving. Sasuke sped forward, Chidori screaming in his palm. This was his moment of glory, the one chance he finally got at killing his brother. He would not let it slip away, it was now or never.

In his peripheral Sasuke saw something pink moving quickly. At first he thought it was the sun playing tricks on him but then he saw what it really was: Sakura. What was she doing? She was going to ruin his whole plan! Why was she interfering? Being steered by blind rage, he clenched his right wrist with his left hand and ran faster.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion to everyone watching.

Sasuke raised his arm, preparing his final attack to destroy his brother once and for all. A shout from behind him sounded in his ears but it was faint, distant. Itachi held his full attention and nothing would break his concentration. Then Sakura came into view, rushing infront of Itachi, blocking his attack. Her back faced him as she hadn't turned around yet. It was too late, he couldn't stop his attack now.

As Sasuke's arm descended towards Sakura, his eyes widened with fear. He closed his eyes and tried to stop but he couldn't. The Chidori hit something solid and an explosion eupted, creating a huge cloud of smoke that easily covered the front yard.

"Sasuke! Sakura!" Naruto screamed, concern marking his features. Everyone watched in horror and suspense as the smoke slowly cleared. Everyone gasped as their eyes fell on Sasuke, who lie on the right side of the yard sprawled on the ground. He sat up slowly, looking beat up and bruised. He glared at Itachi across the yard.

Itachi stood with his arm facing outward toward Sasuke while he held Sakura behind him with the other. Silence fell over the area as everyone seemed to take in what just happened.

"Did...Itachi...just...protect...Sakura?" Naruto asked, clearly in disbelief. It was a rhetorical question, one that filled everyone's mind but offered an obvious answer.

Itachi disregarded his little brother and protectively turned towards Sakura, who gazed at him through tear-filled eyes. "Are you okay?" He whispered, brushing a strong hand against her hair and holding her cheek. He brushed a tear away with his thumb as it slid down her cheek. Sakura simply nodded, too amazed to speak. Itachi offered her a smile, one only for her. "Good."

"Get off of her, you bastard!" Sasuke yelled. He was already coming toward Itachi, who simply turned and stood in front of her protectively.

"No, Sasuke, wait." Sakura said, standing beside Itachi.

"Get away from him, Sakura." Sasuke grabbed Sakura and pulled her toward him. Suddenly, Naruto appeared right before Itachi, and the rest of the rookie nine circled him. "We're getting you as far away from him as possible."

"No, Sasuke!" Sakura jerked her arm and tried to get out of his grip. She heard shouting and the clang of kunai's as a fight erupted. "STOP! Sasuke, fucking let me go!" She jerked her arm once more and he let her go.

"What's up with you, Sakura? Why are you defending him?" His cold manner stopped affecting her years ago. She learned to tolerate it and fight back when it called for it.

"Maybe if you stopped treating me like a child I could explain!" She turned towards the fight that she knew would have a horrible ending. "Everybody stop! Stop!" Sakura yelled at the top of her lungs and surprisingly everyone listened. She marched through her friends and stood next to Itachi, who was in the middle of performing a jutsu. "You guys I have something very important to say."

"Sakura, why are you defending him?" Lady Tsunade asked. Sakura met her Hokage's gaze and felt her mouth go dry. She looked around at all her friends, her family practically, and felt her heart break. How was she supposed to tell them? Would they ban her from the village? Would they hate her? Was Itachi worth it?

Taking a deep breath, she said, "Because, I love him."

A pregnant pause blanketed the Uchiha residence. Nobody said anything, nobody moved. After what seemed like hours, Sasuke finally spoke up.

"You love him? Why?" He didn't sound mad or sad, just disgusted.

Sakura slid her hand into Itachi's and intertwined their fingers together. She thought of the day she was taken, and what she went through. She had hated Itachi in the beginning. He was the leader of a criminal organization, he killed his family and countless of others. Something changed in her, though, and she started to see him differently. On the outside, Itachi was a cold, fearless, ruthless guy without a conscience. But Sakura saw past that, and realized he wasn't the guy he made everyone think him to be. He had regrets, he shared feelings, he just placed them aside. And Sakura planned on changing that.

"Because he's a sweet, honest guy that's just like the rest of us. I don't know what it is but I can't get him out of my head, and I can't stand being away from him. If that's not love then I don't know what is." She smiled proudly at Itachi who smirked in response. She looked around and her eyes fell on Naruto. She expected him to have his eyebrows furrowed in anger, and tell her he hated her. But he didn't, he was smiling at her, his eyes were the bluest she'd ever seen them.

"I'm happy for you, Sakura. Even though it is with him." He nodded in Itachi's direction.

"Thank you, Naruto." She turned towards Sasuke, who stared at her with empty eyes. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I never intended for this to happen. I feel terrible." Involuntarily, a tear escaped and slid down her cheek. Sasuke reached out and brushed it away gently, giving her a sad smile. She was going to miss him. And he was going to miss her.

"Maybe it's for the best. Don't worry, Sakura, I'll be okay." His eyes turned toward Itachi and that cold, ruthless anger emerged once more. "Take care of her, Itachi, or you'll be hearing from me."

"And me." Naruto said.

"You'll be hearing from all of us." Shikamaru said conclusively.

Hesitantly, Sakura asked, "Does this mean I'm kicked out of the village?"

Heads turned towards Tsunade as if they had been wondering the same thing. "No, it does not. You are welcome here any time, Sakura. As for Itachi, he is still a sworn enemy of the Leaf and I cannot make the villagers worry. He is lucky I don't kill him where he stands right now, thanks to you, Sakura. Because you love him, and I love you as a daughter, I won't kill him. If we ever see you again," her gaze turned on Itachi, "we will treat you as before and hunt you down because you are our enemy." Itachi nodded.

"Thank you, Lady Hokage!" Sakura trapped Tsunade in a strong embrace that made her laugh. "And don't worry, we'll be far from here, you won't run into us. Promise."

Part Two

Everyone stood at the main entrance of the Leaf Village, saying their goodbye's. Sakura held back her tears as she hugged her friends for the last time. She would come and visit, she just didn't know how long from now. It was always good to be prepared, though. Never know what could happen.

Naruto circled his arms around Sakura and squeezed her to his chest tightly. She choked and giggled but hugged him back and lifted him off he ground a little. They both laughed and released each other. Sasuke was the last person left to say goodbye. She walked up to him and gave him an apologetic smile.

"I really am sorry, Sasuke." She whispered.

"Don't cry, Saku. It's not you. Be the strong girl I know you are." His sweet words made her want to cry even more but she held it back.

"Thank you." She hugged him for several minutes, each taking the time to remember the good times they shared.

"If you ever need me, you know where I am, Saku." He whispered in her ear, squeezing her before letting her go for the last time. He chanced a smile that she weakly mirrored and blinked away her tears. She really was going to miss him.

"Well, I guess we better go."

"Where are you going?" Tsunade asked.

Grabbing Itachi's hand and not letting go, she smiled hopefully. "Who knows? We'll find a spot that fits us."

"Be careful you two. If you ever need anything you know we're here for you." Naruto said, giving the couple a thumbs-up.

"Thank you! Bye, everyone! I'll miss you!" The couple walked down the road, waving goodbye.

"Bye, Sakura! We love you!" And a chorus of other heartfelt things was being shouted as the couple grew smaller in the distance.

The group waited at the gate until they could no longer see the two. Then they dispersed and went back to their lives. Naruto stayed behind with Kakashi and Sasuke. Naruto and Kakashi stood on either side of the younger Uchiha as he narrowed his gaze.

"You gonna be alright, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. He felt for the boy, losing the one you loved could really hurt. And losing her to the one you hate to death, who was your own brother, is even worse. He'd help Sasuke through it, him and Naruto both.

"Yeah. Like I said, maybe it's for the better. I just hope she made the right choice."


	9. Chapter 9

**Several Years Later**

"What's in there, mommy?" Asked a small girl no older than five. Her long, black hair curled over her tiny shoulders as she raised her arms up. Two strong arms picked up the girl and placed her on her hip. The little girl blew her long bangs out of her face as she was raised up.

"Well, a little boy is in there, Shiori. He's going to be your little brother."

"Oh, cool! Then I can teach him all my cool ninja moves!" Shiori threw out her arms to mimic a punch and her mother laughed.

"Sakura?" A voice called.

"Yes, dear?" Sakura turned around and saw her husband, Itachi come into the kitchen. He smiled at the sight of his wife holding their beautiful daughter.

"Daddy!"

Itachi gave Sakura a kiss on the lips and Shiori a kiss on the head. "What?" He asked after he saw his daughters face.

"That's icky! You're not supposed to kiss mommy like that."

Sakura and Itachi both chuckled at their daughters words. Sakura set Shiori down and she ran to go play in the living room. Itachi put a hand on his wife's stomach and felt the baby kick. "He's due any day now. Think of any names?" Sakura asked.

"I was thinking of Itsuki, it sort of blends our names together."

"Honey, that's a wonderful idea! Itsuki it is. Can we make his middle name Naruto?" Itachi smiled. The love his wife had for her friends couldn't get any stronger.

"Of course, my love," He kissed her head and rubbed her belly.

It had been seven years since they had left the Leaf Village. Sakura hadn't seen her friends since last year; maybe it was time for a visit. She'd go after Itsuki was born and take him and Shiori over. Shiori loved it at the Leaf Village, said it felt like home. Part of Sakura wished she still lived there, with her friends, in her beloved village. But she was happy with Itachi; she wouldn't leave him for anything.

Sakura wasn't the only one expecting to have another kid, but so were the rest of her friends. Naruto and Hinata were due next month, they were having a girl, then were going to try for a boy, no doubt going to take after his father. Sasuke and Ino were pregnant with twin boys; they had gotten together shortly after Sakura had left. And surprisingly, Shikamaru and Temari had two little girls on the way, Shikamaru was surprised and immediately tried to back out of being a father. That earned him a good knock to the head. And Sakura was due any day now; she couldn't wait to expand her family. She was already thinking of another baby, she'd have to talk to Itachi, though.

As Sakura stared at a picture of her and all her friends back when they were just in their teens, she was glad everything worked out. Not just for her and Itachi, but for everyone else, too. They all found their love, their partner, just as she had, and she couldn't be happier.

"Your hair is so beautiful, Sakura. I love it." Itachi stated, running his hand through her long, silky hair. It had been a while since they both thought of the time when it was short. Neither of them purposely remembered it, and if it did come up, it went away as quickly as it had come. Sakura grew it out over the last few years and didn't let anyone come near her with a sharp object.

"I love you, Ita." She said, wrapping her arms around his middle and looking up at him. His face barely aged over the years and he was still as sexy and sweet as ever.

"I love you, too, my Cherry." He dipped his head and kissed her sweetly, cupping her face in his hands.

**The End**


End file.
